Revenge of the Cabbage
by Fokusas
Summary: Cabbage guy got so fed up with young kids always destroying his precious cabbage, so he decided to teach them a lesson and created Kyoshi games where blood will flow freely!
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. THIS IS ATLA, LOK, HUNGER GAMES CROSSOVER! EXPECT ANYTHING THAT IS IN HUNGER GAMES. I DON'T GUARANTEE THAT CHARACTERS LISTED IN DESCRIPTION WILL SURVIVE THE GAMES. :D *evil laugh* YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Early lok technology will be used as base in this fanfiction. All tributes are ~18 years old.  
**

 **Words are mine, worlds not.**

 **I would like to thank Fanwright for beta read.**

 **LET THE MAYHEM BEGIN!**

With the flick of a dial static filtered through the metal mesh screen in front of the speaker and a high-pitched whine pierced his ears. Varrick's eye twitched and he bit his lip as he adjusted the signal.

"Come on, you dang thing," he muttered, his hand swiping down once again to hit the polished wood covering the radio. He could've sworn the signal got better with that last one.

A whistle like the drone of a siren poured through the speaker and with a final tweak of the station knob Varrick began to hear the familiar roar of thousands of people clamoring over the static. He smiled as he cleared up the signal, pinching the volume knob between his fingers as the cheer of the crowd filled his ears.

"There we go," he said, satisfied, "'bout time too. Wouldn't want to miss this for the world."

Reclining back in his seat, basking in the crisp feel of his bath-robe clinging to his skin, his loose, freshly washed hair falling over his forehead, Varrick kicked up his feet on the nearby foot stool as a voice filtered over the boisterous crowds. Normally Varrick would be part of that huge crown in Ba Sing Se, drinking expensive vine and talking with wealthy nobles and game masters, if not for one small detail. Some fool messed up schedule and now instead of being in the middle of action in Ba Sing Se, he had to resign himself to the ways simple peasants experienced this grand event; to listen it on radio. He was sure dozen of rich people were disappointed by the lack of his presence and everything it brought to the games.

"-and that was brought to by Cabbage Corp! Remember folks: a cabbage a day keeps the Reapers away."

Rolling his eyes, Varrick groaned as the catchy little jingle of the company chimed in. If he weren't careful he'd be humming that tune for the next couple of days.

"Now, if you're just joining us here on our station, then let me be the first welcome you tonight's exciting opening ceremony for the fifteenth annual Kyoshi Games!"

A pleasant shiver ran through him and Varrick couldn't help but grin at the enthusiasm in the announcer's voice. He had to admit, he was quite thrilled himself.

"I'm your host Shiro Shinobi and joining me tonight is my hulking partner in crime, Xin Fu!"

"Thanks Shiro. And as we like to say here at Ba Sing Se Radio - let the blood flow freely! Yeah!"

"Ha! I dare say, Xin, you may like saying that more than you're willing to admit!"

"Heh, your damn right, Shiro! And let me tell ya I'm not the only one callin' for blood. Just listen to that crowd roar!"

"I am Xin, I am, and they have good cause for it! They'll be getting plenty of it over the next several days as they watch it ooze from the wounds of our latest tributes! Why don't you tell our listeners of what's lined up for the games?"

"You got it. Now folks, I gotta say, the meat lined up here tonight is prime cut! They'll be talking about this game for years to come!"

"That's a bold statement there, Xin!"

"Oh, you have no idea, pal! I'm lookin' down our little list here and I'm seeing ex-nobles and former royalty! You damn well heard me right folks, we got blue-bloods in the game!"

"Kyoshi's biceps, Xin! Am I hearing you right? Well, don't leave us in suspense here, what have you got for us?"

"Like always, Shiro, we got twenty-four tributes from all twelve districts just waitin' for the slaughter! First up here on the list is… ah shit!"

"Haven't heard that name before Xin."

"Nah, it's the names! Either some asshole forgot to put down their full names and screwed up gettin' this list for us, or the tributes just didn't feel like sayin'! Ah, screw it! Doesn't matter now, I'll just read'em."

"Well, what does matter Xin is if these tributes can promise the audience gathered here tonight copious amounts of blood."

"Oh, they'll deliver, pal! I can promise you that! Whether they're dishing out the punishment or taking it, the folks here are definitely going to get their fill."

"So, who's first on the list then?"

Varrick's ears perked up. He turned his head toward the radio, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, an elbow resting on the arm of his chair. He swore he could hear the announcer chuckle a little too enthusiastically.

"First up is Zuko from District One. You heard me right folks, the former prince of the long dead Fire Nation is here for the games!"

"You mean to tell me this is the same Zuko from that bloodthirsty barbarian nation of fire-chuckers?"

"The one and only, Shiro! Now he showed off some decent skill when it came to fire bending and swordsmanship. The Games Commission put him at a solid seven."

"Well, lets hope that's his lucky number then! He'll need all he can get to the survive these games."

"Heh, damn right he will! Now, his female companion is none other than Azula. That's right ladies and gentlemen, the games will play host to the former princess herself."

"Agni's Breath, Xin! If what we've heard about her is true, then I pity any tribute that has the misfortune of running into her during the games."

"Right you are, Shiro, and the Commission gave her a score of ten. This little lady is packin' some serious heat for a fire-chucker. Beauty, brains, and bitchiness all rolled up into one little package. She'll definitely be a crowd favorite!"

"Looks like District One will give our tributes some serious competition as always."

"Damn right. Up next is District Two, represented by Chan and Ty Lee. The Commission gave Chan a six. Mediocre at best, he can throw a decent barrage of fire around from what I hear, but nothing special."

"Sounds like fodder to me, Xin."

"Ha! He probably will be! Now his female partner is a different story. Miss Ty Lee here might be a non-bender, but she's bringing some excellent acrobatic skills to the games."

"Floats like a leaf on the wind too apparently! If what I've heard is correct, she may even be an air-bender."

"Well let's hope that air-bending serves her well here, Shiro. The Commission gave her a score of nine. Now, I don't know if she's that good, but she's one heck of a pretty pink sight and supposedly is as likely to flirt with other tributes as well as fight them."

"Good way to make alliances if you ask me, Xin! A pretty smile, a wink, and a winning personality might just be the thing to benefit her."

"Yep, and if what I'm hearing is true several sponsors have already taken an interest in her, so her odds of survival in the games might have been improved."

"Well, one can only hope that she puts on a show for our audience! Mind if I see that list, Xin?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright then folks, next is District Three, represented by a male tribute named Jet and a female tribute named Mai. Both are non-benders with a penchant for bladed weapons apparently."

"Right you are, Shiro! Jet's a maverick with double hooked swords and a savage when it comes to close combat. A lot of ladies from Ba Sing Se say he's easy on the eyes and have traveled here to cheer him on."

"Says here his score is an eight. His partner Mai also got the same score, but she offers something different than Jet apparently."

"That's right, Shiro. Hands down, one of the best knife throwers the Commission has ever seen. She has a lot of steel to throw around folks and I mean lot! Don't let her size and demeanor fool you, she's got an entire armory hidden on her."

"Fair enough Xin! Next up we have the Earth Kingdom districts, starting with District Four. They'll be represented by tributes named Haru and Song. Looks like the Commission gave Haru a five and Song a four, with Song showing some promise in survival with cooking skills."

"Oh, brother. Well, best of luck to them. With those scores, they're going to need it."

"Next up is District Five, represented by… hm."

"What's up, Shiro?"

"Well, it says the male tribute's named Longshot and the female tribute's named Smellerbee."

Varrick blinked, shaking his head as if roused from a daydream. He knew that some tributes liked to change their names to make themselves sound more menacing, but sometimes they sounded ridiculous than anything else. Looks like this will be one of those silly cases where instead of going for intimidation, tributes choose silly names to distract them from their true potential. This thought made him chucked when he remembered some of the silliest names he has ever heard used in games.

The announcer continued, "Well, it's not for me to judge. After all it's their skill that will be the deciding factor here and these two don't seem to disappoint."

"What's there score then, Shiro?"

"Looks like the Commission gave both of them a seven. Longshot in particular promises to show off some top-notch archery akin to the former Fire Nation's infamous Yuyan."

"Now that's something I want to see, Shiro! What's about his partner?"

"Close range combat to balance out his skill with the bow I suppose. A deadly combination if ever I saw one."

"We'll see how long they last then."

"And now we come to District Six. You're from this district aren't you, Xin? Didn't you set up an earth-bending competition there once? Back before the empire was united under Emperor Long Feng?"

"Yeah, that's right. Those were the days. We had some excellent fighters back then that came from District Six. In a town called Gao Ling I set up the fights and people paid money to watch."

"Sounds like it was a heck of a good time, Xin! Though I don't think these next tributes do that legacy justice."

"What? How?"

"Well, for starters it looks like District Six sent a male tribute by the name of Duke. He's a small boy with some average earth-bending skills that will head-butt people, but the Commission decided to give him a four. The girl seems to be an earth-bender, but she's also blind. Wait a minute… this can't be-"

"It is Shiro. As soon as you said 'blind earth-bender' I knew exactly who you were talking about."

"Well, you weren't kidding when you said nobles were coming to the games!"

"That's right, in this case the daughter of a noble. Oh, for those listeners that don't know Toph Beifong, heir to the Beifong Clan, will be entering the games. What's the stats on her, Shiro?"

"Not too impressive, really. The commission gave her a score of six, but knowing the Beifongs they must have bribed someone to-"

"Woah, hey, Shiro! Not on the air."

"Ah, right. Uh, forget that last comment folks! Just a minor slip up."

"Heh, I just can't believe the heir of the clan got offered up as tribute. She might carry an impressive name, but I doubt she'll be an impressive bender. Mark my words ladies and gentlemen this is a sad time for the Beifongs. She won't last a day."

"You may be right there, Xin! Both tributes don't seem that strong. Now, if they had eaten some cabbage things might be different."

Varrick pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have seen that advertisement transition coming.

"Right you are, Shiro! As you folks know eating cabbages is part of a healthy diet, but did you know it decreases your chances of being reaped for the games?"

"Indeed folks! Be sure to buy your share of cabbages where ever they may be sold! This ad was brought to you by the Cabbage Corporation. Remember: A cabbage a day keeps the reapers away!"

Once again, Varrick groaned as the catchy little tune crept joyfully into his ears. He fought the urge to stick his tongue out and gag. Thankfully for him the tune abruptly ceased and the announcers continued their broadcast.

"Next we have District Seven, the birth place of our beloved Kyoshi. You should have seen the costumes they had during the tributes' procession, Xin! It was as if Kyoshi herself descended upon the event. Very inspiring!"

"I bet it was Shiro! So, who's representing the Empire's most illustrious district this time?"

"A female tribute named Suki and a male tribute named… well, that can't be right."

"What is it?"

"It says here his name is… Foaming Mouth Guy?"

"That can't be right. Well, the heck with it! I was too busy getting wasted with our beloved Emperor Long Feng to really care where the servant got this list. I mean if he screwed up on getting their full names too I-"

"Uh, Xin? Not when we're live."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Half the Commission was drunk that night too-" Varrick silently grunted at missed opportunity to swindle a favor or two from the fool that ruled this country or that cabbage lover.

"Anyway! Seems this girl shows promise. Proficient with swords, her preferred weapon is actually the fan."

"Of course it is, Shiro! In the hands a warrior from Kyoshi Island, they're as deadly as a sword."

"Right you are Xin and I'm sure they'll be just as bloody in due time. The Commission gave her a score of eight. Her partner, in contrast, is a five, but the score-takers noted that the boy had a strong jaw line and was prone to rip throats out."

"Can't imagine how they figured out that detail."

"The hard way, Xin! Its always the hard way. Up next we have District Eight."

"Ah, another batch of disappointments! I glanced over them, Shiro, and trust me, these two tributes won't stand a chance."

"You may be on to something there, Xin. Folks, I'm looking at the information now and its not promising. District Eight will be represented by a disabled boy in a wheelchair with connections to a well known engineer in the area and a former fortune teller's assistant of all things."

"What? Are you kidding me? Man, they must have been scraping the barrel for tributes on this one. If this is the best District Eight can offer, then it's a disappointment."

"Indeed. The Commission gave the girl a six, while the boy received a three. Lets hope they can make it the first hour of the games then."

"Got that right. Never mind the first day."

"Up next on our list are the Airbending districts. Now I don't know about you folks, but if last year's games taught us anything it's that you can't trust a pacifist when it comes to survival."

"I'll second that opinion, Shiro. They're a surprisingly ruthless bunch. Last year's winner, if you remember, was an airbender with a killer instinct. Never seen anything like it."

"District Nine certainly shows potential when it comes to this reputation. Both the male and female tributes scored a seven with the Commission. Aang, the boy, shows exceptional airbending skills along with his partner, Ilo. Both apparently have very cheerful personalities as well."

"Never trust the friendly types, Shiro, especially an airbender. They'll smile at you while they choke you out."

"Certainly takes the competition's breath away, that's for sure. District Ten is not so promising though. The male and female tributes, Jinju and Jin respectively, only scored a four with the Commission. Hardly ruthless in my opinion."

"You never know Shiro. These games have always had a way of making the unexpected happen."

"You got a point there, Xin. Now, up next we have the tribal districts with their tributes."

"Or as we in the business like to call them – Frozen Meat! Now folks I don't know about you, but I can't even remember a time when any of the tribal tributes won the games. Most of them die on the first day and their deaths are some of the bloodiest these games have seen."

"Unofficially, many spectators like to place bets on how long each tribal will survive."

"Well Xin I hope your bet wasn't too high, or you'll be sorely disappointed. Like our first two tributes from the former Fire Nation these upcoming tributes once held titles of royalty before being integrated into our glorious empire."

"Is that right? Well, don't keep our folks at home waiting, Shiro! What's the skinny on the latest batch of fodder?"

"Lets see here… representing District Eleven we have Hahn and Yue. The male tribute seems to have shown off some fine skills with a pole dancing and the Commission gave him a score of seven for this. The female tribute seemed fairly decent as well, possessing average skills in both waterbending and healing. Her score was a solid six."

"You know Shiro I've heard rumors about these two. The girl, the former princess of the northern tribe, was supposedly set to marry the boy. If they weren't reaped for the games, then they could've gotten hitched."

"A sad turn of events to be sure, Xin! Lets hope our folks listening at home will enjoy a bit of drama to go along with all the bloodletting."

"Heh, well, if they last that long for people to care at least. So now we're down to the last district."

"Indeed we are, Xin! Our last tributes hail from District Twelve and it seems this will be our second batch of siblings for this game. The female tribute's name is Katara and she's shown some exceptional skills in both bending and healing. With a score of eight, she may be her district's best hope for a chance to win the games."

"I'll believe it when I see it, Shiro."

"Indeed, but unlike his sister the male tribute doesn't seem to possess any potential for the games. His name is Sokka. He's not a bender, but he doesn't seem to have any skill whatsoever."

"What did the Commission give him as a score?"

"I'm reading over the notes here and looks like they decided to be merciful for a change. Instead of a flat out zero they gave him a two."

"What!? They would've given him a zero?"

"That's right Xin! Apparently when the Commission evaluated him, the boy started dancing and singing about his boomerang. After a two minute debate they unanimously gave him his score."

"… a boomerang? Was this his preferred weapon? Are they actually putting something like that in the goody pile?"

"Apparently so and apparently they are."

"Well, at least its something. We'll see if the boy dances and sings with all the carnage around him."

"He might even get a rise out the audience with a hatchet to the head! You remember that kill, right? The tribal from District Eleven?"

"Oh, I can't forget that one! Bloody and magnificent!"

A light tap on his door caught Varrick's attention. As he turned off the radio his former assistant and now a wife entered, dressed and ready for travel. It was beyond his imagination how she managed to the thing and could only marvel at this beauty or how stupid he until he noticed it.

He smiled at her and was met with similar smile. "Hey Zhu Li! How's that thing coming along?"

Her glasses gleamed in the lamplight. "We are ready to go. Once you've dressed, we can follow the rest of the organizers to Games Island."


	2. Chapter 2

Despite being taken for the annual Kyoshi games and hauled halfway across the world, all but guaranteeing an early demise as the roar of the crowds filled their dying ears, Sokka and Katara's worries temporarily dissipated at the site of Ba Sing Se. For a city infamous for its extreme excesses and fascination with death, the jade green pagodas, cabbages and vast ivory colored walls drew a sharp contrast in the siblings' minds.

"It just goes on," Katara muttered, gazing out of her window as the sprawling city stretched before her. "I never thought you could put so many people in one place."

Equally transfixed, Sokka stared out of the window, wondering if the sea of green roofs with cabbage motives reached beyond the horizon. "Yeah. Never thought there would be so much green in one place either."

"How do you think they feed so many people? Our district can barely scrounge up enough to feed everyone."

Sokka sniffed the air. "Heh, well, this is the capital of the world now. First class citizens get priority, right? Keep 'em fat and happy…"

Katara could only roll her eyes at her foolish brother. She has huge desire to hit him in shoulder to make him stop spilling nonsense out of his mouth that potentially could get them in trouble, but decided against it. Her brother's words, before they left the pole, spun in her mind as if trying to ease her: they are already doomed and no one could do anything worse for them. Looks like Sokka decided to live up to those words and ate all food supplies before they even reached Ba Sing Se and forced them to make detour to resupply before entering capital city region.

As the siblings grew silent, not willing to waste their energy on futile bickering, they were content to look out upon the city and marvel at its enormity. Yet, there was some truth in those words. Perhaps it didn't matter if they spoke ill of the empire at this point. They would suffer a death equal to the punishment.

The siblings' personal guide, Wushu, who sat just a few seats away from them, was very clear as to their fate - death in a variety of exotic flavors. Sobering news for a tribute, but thrilling for the waiting crowds.

Before the blood could be spilled however, Wushu also elaborated on a bit of information that struck the siblings as odd, again running counter to their previous ideas of how a tribute was treated. He said that they would be given a small amount of money and were allowed to spend it as they saw fit. Clothes, food, mementos for their family to remember them by, it didn't matter. It was a last chance to live life before they would die.

Nothing was as great as an incentive as that.

The train slowed as its wheels screeched against the steel tracks, lurching forward as it came to a stop within a vast station. Peering out the window, the two siblings stared as dozens upon dozens of finely clothed noblemen and women scurried around, carrying around expensive luggage.

Footsteps clanked against the metal floor of their coach, making their heads turn. Wushu looked upon them with indifference, flanked by two men with dark conical hats dark green robes. Sokka leveled his eyes at them, almost sizing them up, while Katara's lips pursed into subtle frown. The Dai Li evoked no sympathy from anyone in the empire.

Wushu spoke as a man looking down upon vermin. "Ah yes. Welcome to the Middle Ring, tributes. Come along now let's not dawdle, we have a very tight schedule for today."

Quickly grabbing what little luggage they had from the overhead compartments Sokka and Katara followed their guide out of the train. Making their way through the engine steam and stepping out into the frigid air, they were suddenly met by two strange individuals.

As one they spoke, their voices perfectly synchronized, their pearly white teeth gleaming behind painted lips.

"Welcome tributes to our glorious capital of Ba Sing Se! We are Joo Dee and we will be your personal assistants. We are honored to accept you into our magnificent city."

Frozen in place, eyes boggling out of their heads, Sokka and Katara felt an uneasy feeling creep over them. The Dai Li agents that shadowed them disappeared into the steam that swirled into the air from the resting train, yet even that wasn't enough to put them on edge as these two women did.

Wushu spoke for the both of them as he indicated the bags hanging off their shoulders, amused at the siblings' discomfort.

"Yes, yes, very well. Now will both of you be so kind as to take their luggage? Come now tributes they won't bite. They are completely docile."

With an uneasy look Katara reluctantly handed her bag over. "Joo Dee huh?

Her brother merely shrugged, handing his bag to one as he muttered under his breath. "It must be one of those stupid names capital residents invented."

Wushu narrowed his eyes. "I don't appreciate your tone, tributes. You will conduct your accordingly during your stay. Do I make myself clear?"

With varying degrees of enthusiasm the siblings agreed, briskly led away from the boarding platform and through the moderately busy station. They were met by curious glances from passersby, eyes either widening in shock or narrowing in disgust. Some seemed genuinely thrilled to see them, as one would be thrilled to see a groomed dogRat on a leash, and one lanky boy even tried to talk to them, before being led away by his mother. They were as exotic as a person could be in the empire, being both tribals and tributes.

Making their way out of the station the group quickly scurried down a vast flight of steps to where a green cabbagemobile rimmed with gold waited for them. Two Dai Li agents stood at attention and one was courteous enough to open the passenger door for them. Without much ceremony they were rushed into the cabbagemobile and made them selves comfortable in the relatively confined space, the engine sputtering to life as they were driven down a relatively peaceful street.

"Its so… nice here. Look at how clean the streets are," Katara commented, looking out the window of the car.

"Yeah, you could probably eat off the surface of the sidewalks. Must be expensive to live here," Sokka muttered, eyeing a couple walking their dog.

As one, the two Joo Dee spoke, catching the siblings off guard. "Yes, only the most powerful and influential individuals live within the Middle Ring."

"And on occasions such as the annual games the tributes may stay here was well. You should both feel honored," commented Wushu.

Unconvinced, Sokka's eyes narrowed as he spied a pair of Dai Li agents shadowing the couple. He tapped Katara on the shoulder pointed in their direction. Her face grew grim. With power and influence came security and it seemed the Middle Ring was no exception to this.

"Yeah, it's a real honor to be here and all. So when are we going to get some food? I am starving!" Sokka said, sitting back in his seat.

"We are glad you feel this way, tribute!" the Joo Dee replied, "You will enjoy the luxury of Ba Sing Se's elite and your security will be guaranteed by the city's most dedicated protectors – the Dai Li!"

"Great. I've always wanted to be watched around the clock and have my privacy violated. It's my dream come true, but let's return back to the topic. Where is the FOOD?"

"We are glad you think this way tribute! Dai Li patrol the Middle Ring regularly. No trouble will occur to you or your food as long as they keep vigil!"

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Sokka was merely content to groan internally and his stomach agreed with him releasing low rumble sound as if indicating that it desired to be filled.

Their ride ended as the cabbagemobile came to a violent halt and parked in front of a luxurious house, its high white walls crowned by a jade-colored pagoda roof with huge cabbage head on top of it. Legends say Cabbage man himself helped to build this magnificent building. A group of Dai Li agents stood guard in front of the entrance, rigid and unmoving.

"This is where you'll be staying until the start of the games. Doctors will conduct a medical evaluation, inspect you for any hidden contraband, and get you properly cleaned. After all those procedures were completed you'll be assigned different wards to sleep in or do other activities." Wushu explained gesturing for one of the Joo Dee assistants to open the door.

"Uh… what was that about contraband?" Sokka asked as he exited the cabbagemobile, a sudden queasiness making him uneasy at the mentioned of that dreaded phrase.

"And why do we need another medical examination? That seems kind of redundant," Katara said, stretching out her legs on the lawn in front of the house.

Reining in his impatience, Wushu calmly addressed their seemingly petty concerns. "Both are necessary to ensure your health and security, as well the health and security of those around you. Smuggling in contraband, whether they are knives or the dreaded juice of the Si Wong, will not be tolerated. In addition, any sickness or disease you may have contracted must be immediately addressed."

"That way we're fit enough die in the games. That's the reason, right?" Katara insisted.

Wushu gave her an imperious look, smiling venomously. "How very keen you. Of course that's why we do it. It wouldn't be fair if one of you tributes were sick. You'd die a less than sportsman like death."

Ignoring his tone, Katara growled as she swiftly turned away, storming off toward the door as two Dai Li agents flanked her, tailed by a Joo Dee.

"Uh… question," Sokka piped up.

Wushu let out a sigh as he turned toward the tribute. "Yes, what is it?"

"Well, uh, I don't mind the examination or anything, and I probably wouldn't mind if they get, uh, too intimate. Its just… since I'm a guy-"

"You will be assigned a medical professional that is highly qualified to examine you."

"Oh, no doubt! But, uh… can it be a girl for me?"

There was a short pause. Both men stared at each other, anticipating a response. Wushu felt an overwhelming urge to punch him.

"… Tell you what, tribute. I'm going to specifically ask for a male with cold, rough hands to examine you if you don't shut up and get in the house. How does that sound?"

Sokka blinked. "… You drive a hard bargain, sir."

"Indeed. Now move."

Briskly, Sokka made his way to the entrance as he followed after his sister, trailed close behind by a Joo Dee and two more Dai Li agents.

Wushu slowly followed in their wake, groaning under his breath. It was going to be a long day.

o0o0o0o

Time had passed and fortunately for Sokka his guide did not follow through on his word and the examination went fairly smoothly, save for a few instances of awkward giggling. Katara for her part found the entire ordeal uneventful.

As dusk approached the two siblings were hurried to their rooms and ordered to dress in their finest clothes. When they were finally through they were whisked away into the inner yard of the residence they lived in, where the other tributes had gathered.

They were as colorful a bunch as they could be. Dressed in their best, representing the many districts they hailed from, Sokka and Katara nonetheless kept their guard up. Instinctively, Katara walked closely beside her brother, thumbs digging into her open palms. Sokka eyes hovered from tribute to tribute, sizing them up, cracking his fingers as he did so. They tried not to let on that they were intimidated despite the severe tension gripping their bodies.

Suddenly, a gong echoed through the yard. All eyes turned toward the raised platform in the center, where an old and lanky man dressed in jade-green robes and a faded green turban ambled up to the microphone.

His voice boomed over the murmur of the small crowd. "Welcome, welcome, and welcome tributes! Let me be the first to greet you on this most auspicious holiday! Cabbage Appreciation Weekend!"

Out of some instinctual gesture the group of tributes applauded as best they could, making an effort to show they at least respected the state enforced holiday.

The old man grinned appreciatively, bowing his head to make an attempt of showing modesty.

"As you all are no doubt aware, this holiday is to celebrate the superiority of the humble cabbage over all other vegetables. It is also a time of rest, relaxation, and reflection before you will be thrust into the games and given the honor of fighting for fame and glory!"

Far off in a corner among the gathered fighters, leaning against a pillar, Zuko stirred at the mention of those words. He gave his undivided attention to the elderly speaker, as if the very mention of the word 'honor' had the power to rouse him from his inner turmoil.

His sister gave him a sideways glance. "Don't get your hopes up, brother. You will not live long enough to see your honor restored if you continue to make fool out of yourself."

Zuko flashed her a glare. "And you're so confident you'll live through this?"

Azula's lips curled into a smile as she causally inspected the sharpness of her nails. "Naturally of course."

On the platform, the elderly man continued. "Use this precious time to live as you see fit! We encourage it! Do anything you want! And if you want to hone your skills, then facilities will be provided to do just that. Your assigned Joo Dees have been issued a small amount of money, which they will hold at all times, but with which you can spend however you like to. Servants will carry anything you buy and have it delivered to your quarters."

Among the crowd, Toph quietly voiced her displeasure, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Bleugh! I didn't get reaped to enjoy the finer things in life! I already had that at home."

Beside her, Toph's partner made his irritation known. "Ugh, c'mon Toph, its not that bad. Have you seen this city? It's huge! I am sure there should be anything for you to do here before the games starts."

"It ain't the same, Duke. Just wait 'til I get in the games. Heads are gonna roll." Duke was taken aback by such sudden change. For all he knew this little blind girl was just another (good for nothing) pampered noble, but the huge predator smile this girl displayed made him reevaluate her and he didn't like what he saw there.

With a satisfied grin as he looked over his audience the elderly man beckoned his guest to come up onto the platform.

"But enough about my glorious holiday to the greatest vegetable on earth! Please welcome our very special guest speaker, professor Zei! He will introduce you to our empire's history as well as the creation of the Kyoshi games!"

Another round of applause as the professor took his position on the platform. His hair was tied into the regulation pigtail that was required by all males born in the city. Worn and gaunt, he had the look of a man who had seen too many days wandering the great deserts of the continent.

"Good evening everyone! I'd like to thank the executive of Cabbage Corp for inviting me here. Without his patronage my expeditions into the interior of this vast nation would not be possible. He is truly a great and generous man."

Sitting at a table in the middle of the audience beside his sister, Sokka fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he slouched in his seat, made a fist with his hand, and mimicked an obscene gesture as he pumped his arm over his pelvis.

"Oh yeah, thank you Cabbage Corps, you're sooo good to me," he muttered, mocking the professor.

Eyes widening, Katara promptly elbowed her brother in the arm, hissing as she whispered. "Hey, knock it off!"

"Hey, not my fault this whole thing is boring me to death."

"I thought you liked history, Sokka."

"You call this history? I am sure we will be spoon fed same propaganda we have at home."

Katara saw lost case and decided to remain silent. Her brother could be an ass if he wanted, but this wasn't time for them to bicker about things that couldn't be changed. As the two siblings turned their attention toward the platform, the professor continued.

"… From the former Earth Kingdom the Earth Empire would rise. The seeds of its foundation can be traced back to the rule of the fiftieth Earth King, when his armies crushed those of the vile Fire Nation and saving the Air Nomads from certain annihilation."

Sitting quietly at her table, Ilo stirred at the memory of the elders telling stories of those dark days. Her hand twitched uncomfortably.

"Ilo, are you okay?" Aang whispered.

"I'm fine Aang. Just… remembering the ghost stories the elders told us."

He nodded his head slowly. "Yeah… its different when you realize the things that happened in those stories was real at some point."

"It's different when you realize it happened to your own people."

Aang gulped, blinking. "… Yeah. Then they get really scary."

The two airbenders grew quiet as their attention slowly shifted back to the professor.

"… His majesty personally led a three-nation alliance. Calling on the resilient air nomads and hardy mercenaries of the water tribes, braving the terrible fire unleashed upon the world through Blood's Comet, the armies of the Fire Nation were hurled back, exhausted in their efforts and spread thin across their conquered lands. These soldiers, far from home and treated like scum by their corrupt officers, stood no chance. One by one, the cities in the Fire Nation colonies were liberated and the foe driven back across the sea."

There was a momentary pause as the professor cleared his throat; as if he was coughing out the very sand he breathed in on his many expeditions.

" As I was saying… in the wake of this achievement great shipyards and factories were built throughout our nation. The surviving air nomads, seeking refuge, were happily accepted into our great cities, where they found peace and protection. Decades passed since this great struggle and eventually the Fire Nation recovered from their loss, hoping to wipe away the shame of their defeat in their war against fiftieth Earth King.

"However, this was not the same army they had faced decades before. Well trained and well equipped, the army fought back valiantly against the Fire Nation's attacks. Under the shrewd leadership of the fifty-first Earth King the army was once again able to humiliate the Fire Nation in battle after battle. Each day the foe grew weaker, while our army grew stronger.

"Yet, even at this most critical phase in the war, fate intervened. The fifty-first king took ill under mysterious circumstance and died soon after. Chaos gripped the palace as officials hastily looked for a successor. And in that dark time rose our beloved emperor, Long Feng himself.

"At the time he was the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, assisting and overseeing many tasks along side the previous king. Under his leadership the army and navy were reformed, but it wasn't until he graciously accepted the crown that he was able to see those reforms in action. After months of careful planning Long Feng, who was named the fifty-second Earth King at the time, launched a massive invasion of the Fire Nation. Through toil and blood, after thousands of casualties on both sides, the Fire Nation was finally defeated. Its lands were annexed as part of the Earth Kingdom and it was at this point that our great emperor proclaimed the Earth Empire.

"Through great effort and much sacrifice, peace and prosperity were achieved. Yet, not all was right with the world. In his wisdom, emperor Long Feng sought to extend an olive branch to the northern and southern water tribes. Tribal raiders had wreaked havoc on the vital sea routes of the empire and our emperor wished to see them secured. When the north refused, the only choice was war.

"Through great feats of science and engineering, the empire's best minds set to work on a new invention that would give our army a distinct edge – the airship. Molten earth and fire rained down upon the frozen citadel of the north as a fleet of our airships descended from the clouds. Though valiant in their defense, the northerners surrendered and accept the rule of our emperor. The south was soon annexed as well, wisely choosing to peacefully accept our emperor's rule.

"It was through the efforts of bright and brave individuals that the empire was able prosper, yet none have come close to the contributions that the executive of Cabbage Corp have made. When famine gripped the empire in its war with the Fire Nation, it was through his extraordinary efforts that a crisis was averted, using his company to feed our starving people. To commemorate his achievements, the emperor declared cabbage as a national vegetable and granted him a fief, known today as Cabbage Island.

"Some did not accept the new order. From the uprisings on Shu Jing Island to the tribal rebellions in the South Pole, there were those who sought to bring an end to the prosperity and order of the empire. Again, the rebellions were crushed. Again, the chief executive of Cabbage Corp proposed an ambitious plan to keep the many people of this empire obedient to the will of the emperor."

The professor waved a hand over the gathered fighters. "That plan is why all of you are gathered here now. That plan is why tributes from every district of this empire are reaped since its implementation. It is to ensure the longevity of this empire. The Kyoshi Games are what keep us together. Through your sacrifice, peace is ensured!"

There was an applause that echoed through the yard, led in part by the many Joo Dee that hovered near their assigned tributes. Whether the young men and women gathered for the games believed in the professor was hard to say. Many years had passed without so much as an uprising. Perhaps the empire was finally, truly, at peace.

"They preach peace and harmony among race here, but we all know what they tell us at home." Zuko mumbled.

"Yeah. They like to rub us in the face how barbaric savages we were or how productive it was to fertilize their fields with our blood and bones since this is the best soil where cabbages flourish." Azula silently whispered.

"They basically call us vile and bloodthirsty scums even lower than those tribal fools as if they weren't the same. Or how they put our great grandfather's head on the pole after they surrounded and killed him in battle" Zuko continued to murmur.

"Keep your mouth shut, Zuzu, you are making fools of yourself, again." Azula whispered after seeing Dai Li and several tributes looking at them.

Sokka, for his part, did not dwell long on such things. As the applause died down and the professor continued speaking his eyes grew heavier and his attention grew unfocused. The exhaustion from such a long journey from the south had finally caught up to him. Without much resistance, his head lolled forward and he drifted to sleep.

He woke up when his chair fall on the ground making him kiss the dirt.

"No, no, no! We should eat food, not food us!" Sokka squeaked while trying to stand up and looked at his surrounding as if trying to determine where the offending vegetable was lurking before it decided to attack him.

The yard was completely empty, with chairs and tables left vacant in the cool night breeze. Rubbing his eyes he turned his head to find that he wasn't entirely alone. A Joo Dee stood close by, her wide grin and bulging eyes as disturbing to him as ever.

Sokka spoke to her, clearing his throat. "Uh, sorry. The trip here was a long one. Didn't get much rest. Did I miss anything important? Oh, is there any food around here? I could use a pick-me-up."

The Joo Dee simply smiled at him. "The kitchen is in the left wing. I will be glad to accompany you there. Today's choice is grilled cabbage with a savory cabbage sauce. An assortment of cabbage flavored candy is served for dessert."

Sokka tried to fake a smile, despairing at the choice of food. "Okay, well, do you have any meat?"

"We offer a special choice called cabbage meat served with cabbage sauce. It goes particularly well with cabbage juice."

"Uh huh. Well, I was thinking maybe you had something like real meat? You know, beef, pork-chicken, seal, something like that?"

The Joo Dee giggled, beckoning him to follow her. "Oh Tribute! Everything is made of cabbage during the national cabbage holiday. Even the meat!"

The logic behind that baffled Sokka. He felt less hungry than before, unenthusiastic about the promise of cabbage-flavored food. As they made their way toward the dining hall inside the building, he had the terrible sense that he was descending further in his own personal hell.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, you're the tribesman from district twelve, huh?"

Sokka turned around to see two boys approach him.

"I'm Jet and he's Zuko. You look like a decent enough guy I guess," said Jet, extending his hand in greeting.

Sokka shook his hand with a firm grip. "Yeah... I mean, ignoring the fact that we're kind of strangers, I guess you look decent too."

"Funny guy, huh? That's cool. So listen," Jet said, wrapping an arm around Sokka's shoulders, "A couple of the tributes were thinking of sneaking out and throwing a little party in the city. We want to get some real food, not this cabbage shit they feed us. What do you say? You down?"

Sokka smirked. "Music to my ears. I'm in. When are we going?"

"At night. We'll be meeting on the roof of this building. Be there." Jet replied, moving away.

"I will, don't worry."

The two boys went about their business as Sokka walked away. Out of earshot, Zuko whispered into Jet's ear.

"Did he believe us?" Zuko asked, eyes darting back toward the tribesman.

"Definitely. What an idiot. He'll be the perfect scapegoat."

o0o0o0o

Sokka walked through the training grounds as he observed the other tributes honing their skills in both bending and non-bending. Some of them were truly impressive and doubt began to cloud his mind, wondering if he would make it out of the games alive. Lost in thought, he suddenly tripped. Trying to get up, Sokka realized a girl lying on the ground broke his fall and he found himself in an awkward position with his hands on her breasts. Blushing, he tried to get up, only for the girl to pull him back down and embrace him. His eyes widened when she kissed him, giggling as she did so.

A voice pierced Sokka's ears. "Ty lee, this is not the time for that!"

"Aw, c'mon Azula! Can't I have a little fun?"

"Let him go this instant! Both of you are crushing me!"

Ty Lee pouted. "Fine."

With some difficulty she released her hold over Sokka and reluctantly shoved him off.

"Sorry," he said, "Here let me help you stand up."

As Sokka stood up he extended his hand out. Azula merely brushed it aside as she stood up. Ty lee, however, gripped his hand tightly and took another opportunity to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks cutie!" Ty lee said, making Sokka blush again.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable. The idiot falls over you, practically gropes you, and you thank him for it!"

Ty Lee smirked. "It kind of tickled actually!"

Azula, through with the whole ordeal, pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ugh, what is wrong with you?"

As the two girls began to bicker, Sokka decided to make himself scarce, walking away from the training area at a brisk pace.

Though embarrassed beyond belief, he had to admit that it felt really good to kiss a girl.

o0o0o0o

Once again, as he quickly rounded a corner at a fast pace, Sokka tripped over a loose tile and fell to the floor.

"Damn it, again?" he blurted out, nursing a stubbed toe as he sat on the ground.

A familiar voice caught his attention. "Ah, there's my idiot brother."

Sokka didn't need to guess who that was. He turned to his sister with an embarrassed look as a whole group of girls stood beside her.

"Hey Katara."

"Hey Sokka. Stubbed your toe?"

"Stubbed my toe."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, a lot actually," he hissed through his teeth, trying to get up, "Ow… ow."

One of the girls, a tribeswoman with impossibly white hair, stepped forward, her voice like a whisper. "Oh my… He's a cute one."

Blinking and taking a breath to hide the blush on his face, Sokka straightened his back and swaggered over to the girls with a slight limp in his step.

He cleared his throat and smiled. "Hey there ladies… and Katara. I'm Sokka," he said, bowing his head, "Pleasure to meet you."

A hearty chuckle caught Sokka's attention. "He didn't just bow to me, did he? I like this guy! He's an idiot, but I like him!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And, uh, you are?"

The girl, her dark bangs swaying in front of her eyes, made her way over to him, a big grin across her face.

"Toph Beifong, pal!" she said, punching his arm, "And that's how I greet people."

Sokka winced at the pain as he rubbed the bruise. "Terrific. And, uh, who are the other two?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "This is Yue and Suki. Yue's from our sister tribe in the north and Suki's from Kyoshi Island. I figured they looked like decent people to talk to and turns I was right."

"Except me! I'm all trouble, buddy!" Toph interjected, punching Sokka in the arm again.

"Ow! All right, all right, I get it! Jeez…" said Sokka turning to the other two girls as he bowed again, " Well, it's a pleasure to meet you ladies."

Just as he was about to turn away Sokka felt the ground shift beneath his feet. Losing balance he fell forward, kissing the stone tiles with his face.

Toph smiled, hands on her waist, looking a bit too proud of herself. "Pretty clumsy today aren't ya? Can't even stand up straight."

"Yeah," Sokka muttered, eyes narrowed at the girl, "Must be my toe."

"Well obviously!" Toph chuckled.

Yue extended her hand out to Sokka. "Here, let me help you up."

Blinking out of surprise, Sokka took her hand. Just as he was about to rise, she lost her balance and fell on top of Sokka.

Toph sneered, stifling a giggle. Through her seismic sense she could feel the boy's heart-rate skyrocket as Yue pressed her weight against his body. Their lips touched and both their faces were red.

"Bunch of clumsy people over here, huh?" Toph laughed.

Yue pushed herself off of Sokka, completely flustered. He managed an awkward smile, not knowing what else to do.

"Uh, its okay, it happens… all the time to me?" he said, seeing that Yue was completely embarrassed. His words didn't seem to help.

Toph laughed harder. "Oh man! You are one funny guy, Sokka!"

Katara crossed her arms. "I warned you, girls. Sokka will use any opportunity to sneak a kiss in on you. He's a bit of a jerk too. Thinks girls are only meant to have kids and stay at home."

With varying degrees of enthusiasm, all girls laughed as Sokka rose to his feet. He wanted to say something, say he wasn't like that anymore, but decided against it and moved along. He'd let them have their fun.

o0o0o0o

As the evening drew near, the tributes returned to their rooms to prepare for their main introduction to for the Kyoshi Games. It was a time for celebration, to remind the citizens of Ba Sing Se the greatness of their empire.

During their travel to Ba Sing Se, each tribute was told that they would need a costume, one that they would wear for the official opening of the games. Seamstresses from every district were sent to the city to make preliminary costumes for their respective tributes, to test different costume designs. When the tribute was fitted the actual costume would be made, ready to wear for the opening ceremony by the time the tribute arrived.

As required since the inception of the games, all tributes would then parade themselves along a planned route from the middle ring to the upper ring in front of thousands of spectators; young fighters from every district, showing themselves to the crowds before their inevitable deaths, all for the sake of stability within the empire.

Tributes from the Earth Kingdom usually had ample time to design their costumes. The tributes from the outlying districts, where the former Fire Nation and Water Tribes were located, were a different matter. Seamstresses from these districts were usually sent along with the tributes to design a costume as they travelled, typically on a specially designed airship. Unfortunately for the tributes of District Twelve, Sokka ate much of the food for the trip and their airship had to take a detour to resupply. They travelled the last few dozen miles by train to Ba Sing Se.

As the festivities for the tribute parade began Sokka squirmed into his costume. It was a rather simple design and one that he had chosen with pride - a boomerang. A big one, modeled after his own of course, so that he would stand out among the other tributes.

He walked to his starting point along the long confetti strewn road as the hum of thousands of cheering spectators filled his ears. Fumbling aggressively with his costume in order for it to properly fit he accidentally bumped into someone near him – or rather something. He heard a monstrous growl emanate from the hulking form he bumped into. Fear gripped his body as he realized he had bumped into a giant platypus bear, its skin a sickly purple, its head crowned by pink horns with long bat-like silver wings protruding from its back. He had never seen such a terrifying creature.

Thrown into a panic Sokka sprinted away as the beast raised its claws to attack him. He didn't look back, running as fast as he could. He could barely make out the sound of a girl laughing hysterically as he raced away in fear.

He had put some distance between him and the beast when he decided to look over his shoulder. Seeing that he had outrun the thing he slowed his pace, only to find his legs sinking into the ground like quicksand. He was caught.

A Joo Dee smiled at him from the shadows, her stance firm against the ground. "Where are you going, tribute? Surely you would not try to escape the city, and surely not during this most auspicious occasion!"

"Some crazy animal tried to attack me! Like a bear and a platypus mixed into one big monster!" Sokka blurted out.

"Yes. While we do have such creatures at our magnificent zoo, I can assure that they will not be attending the procession. We would not risk the lives of our tributes just before the games."

"Then why the heck is one out there on the starting line!?"

The Joo Dee merely smiled. With a flick of her wrists the stone at Sokka's feet began to loosen.

She beckoned him to follow her. "Come, tribute! I will lead you back. There is nothing to be afraid of in our magnificent capital!"

"Sure, sure…" Sokka muttered reluctantly.

By the time he had returned to his starting point the procession was already underway. He was at least fortunate that he would go last. That way no one had to know about his embarrassing little run-in.

"There you are, Sokka!" Katara said, waving her arm to call him over to her side, "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know," he said causally, "Just needed to relieve myself before the big march. Hard to get the zipper down on this thing."

"Ugh, I didn't need to know that!"

Looking at his sister, Sokka noted that she decided to go as a spirit. A unique choice all things considered and from what she had told him her costume was meant to be a river spirit that guarded fishing villages. She was already boasting about how good it was compared to his costume. He admitted she had a point. Her makeup was on point.

Something peculiar caught Sokka's eye as his gaze drifted. Apparently someone had decided it was good idea to dress as a huge white pancake, while the partner held a crudely made spear. It baffled him beyond comprehension.

Katara nudged him. "That's Yue by the way. She's going as the moon spirit, while Hahn goes as pole protector."

"She looks like an under-cooked pancake."

She elbowed him. "Sokka, be nice. Come on, we better get moving. We're up next in the parade."

"Yup. We march to our doom. Might as well smile as we do so right?"

"Sokka…" Katara muttered bitterly.

The parade was grand in scale and the walk itself was long. Sokka guessed they had at least marched a kilometer before finally stopped. The other tributes gathered along side him were gathered before a podium in front of cheering crowds, where emperor Long Feng stood resplendent in his green robes. He gave a speech about peace and prosperity, but Sokka couldn't be bothered with it. He looked at the costumes around him for entertainment.

He spied the same creature that scared him before the parade started, the platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings. Embarrassment washed over him as he realized it was merely a costume. Whoever wore that one was surely committed to making it looks as frightening as possible. Beside it were two half naked tributes, a boy and a girl. Whoever designed their costumes left nothing to the imagination.

As Sokka gazed upon some of the other costumes, some them truly amazing, he began to doubt his idea to go as his favorite weapon and he cast his head down in shame as the crowds began to roar in his ears.

o0o0o0o

Night had fallen quick over Ba Sing Se. As most of the tributes slept some slinked through the dark, hidden by shadows. It was time.

As Zuko made his way through the darkened hall a hand shot out beside him and pressed him to the wall.

"What do you think you're doing, Zuzu?"

His eyes widened as he gritted his teeth. "I'm going out, Azula. What's it to you?"

 _What is she doing here?_

"You're planning something. You and that idiot Jet are up to no good. You're going to get yourself in trouble," she hissed, tightening her grip.

"Why do you care? We're just going to have some fun. Not like we'll be caught."

"Fool. This is exactly why mother told me to protect you."

"Relax, Azula. We've got this all planned out, people to take the fall if we get caught. Stop being paranoid."

Zuko untangled himself from Azula's grip. She hardly offered any resistance.

Before he could rush away down the hall, she grabbed him by the shoulder, making him turn. "Be careful. I'm not going to be the one to tell our mother her son died over something as stupid as this."

With that Azula disappeared into the night and Zuko went about his business unhindered.

o0o0o0o

"Everyone here?"

Jet looked over the gathering of misfits. Zuko had finally shown up, along with Longshot and Hahn. Sokka, their fall guy, was surprisingly early.

He smirked. "All right, looks like the gang's all here. Let's go."

They sneaked out of the complex and silently made their way deeper into the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. Their destination was a food storage facility Jet marked out on a stolen map. From the route he had carefully planned out, it was only several blocks away.

When they finally arrived the area around the warehouse was completely deserted. As they broke in the boys found the place overflowing with food. _Real_ food.

"All right boys dig in! It's a regular buffet in here," Jet announced with pride.

Sokka's mouth salivated as he eyed all the delectable goodies he could eat. His gaze was glued to the dried meats and bread that lay in stacks on the shelves around him. He was in a carnivore's paradise.

Digging in and stuffing his mouth with whatever was in reach, Sokka caught Zuko, Jet, and Longshot out of the corner of his eye. They were leaving with whatever food they could carry.

Thinking that was a good idea, he decided to follow them, taking as much food as he could. As he made his way out he found Hahn passed out on a box with several bottles of alcohol at his feet. Sokka left him there without a second thought.

Just as he made his way out he spied several Dai Li agents creeping toward the warehouse over the roofs of nearby houses. Sokka quickened his pace down the darkened streets as he heard a yell pierce the silence. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He was dead if he couldn't get away.

Rushing down a nearby alley he tried to find Jet and the other boys. He took sharp turns down narrow streets, crept silently through small alleys, and perked his ears for any hint of movement. Still, there was no sign of Jet and the others.

Sokka flinched at shadows, darting his head left and right, trying to pierce the darkness of the night. The only thing he could here over the silence was his own panicked breathing.

He was lost.

Searching his memory he tried to recreate the route they took in his head. None of the streets matched up. None of the turns or nearby houses looked familiar. He just hoped he was going in the right direction.

As he was running through an empty street he felt his legs sink into the stone. He knew the people capable of that technique. He was done for. Sokka tried to get his legs out, but it was futile. He sunk into the ground until he was completely submerged below the street.

A pitch-black room and an overly boisterous chuckle greeted him. The voice was eerily familiar. "What's up Snoozles?"

"What the- Toph? Is that you?"

A punch in the arm was his immediate response. The pain stung and he winced once again.

"Ow!" he blurted out, his voice echoing across the room, "Okay, okay, its you, I get it!"

"Is that dried beef I smell?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

He could hear her footsteps approach him. Her hands reached out to him in the dark, feeling his waist. Sokka blushed a little as she reached into his pockets and pulled out the beef.

She sniffed. "Do I need to know where you got all this food from? Or why Hahn was caught getting drunk in some warehouse by the Dai Li?"

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to know why you've been following us? Or how you got down here in the first place?"

There was a pause as they stood in the dark. He didn't really expect that.

She finally spoke up. "Hm. Point taken, Snoozles."

"Uh, right. So, how about we get-" Sokka uttered, before being cut off. Toph's hand clamped firmly against his mouth.

"Keep your voice down," Toph whispered, "It was hard enough trying stay quiet down here without you making noise."

As she removed her hand from his mouth, he began to whisper. "We need to get back to the complex. I don't know how you got here, but if they notice we're missing-"

"Yeah, yeah, pipe down already will you? I know the way. Come on."

Within minutes they were back on the surface and moving through the darken streets, going as fast as they could back to the complex. He could pick out the familiar buildings in the dark as they rushed pass them. The irony of a little blind girl leading him through the night was not lost on him despite his gratefulness.

When they arrived at the complex they helped each other sneak back in. Silently they parted ways and made their way back to their rooms to sleep. One hour passed and Sokka got what little sleep he could when all the tributes were suddenly forced to wake.

They were rushed into the central yard and made to stand at attention, their guides behind them. The Dai Li moved among them, silently taking a head count of who might be missing. Jet, Zuko, and Longshot were in attendance, while Hahn stood nervously between two agents. Yue stood alone, her guide's head bowed in shame.

Sokka trembled, trying to stay calm as he stood next to Katara. He was at least thankful that all the tributes came dressed. He'd look suspicious if he were the only one fully clothed in a sea of pajama-wearing tributes.

After the counting was done all the tributes were released and allowed to go back to their rooms. With a disaster averted, Sokka nonetheless looked over his shoulder as the Dai Li dragged Hahn to the administration building. He could only guess at the horrible things they would do to him.


	4. Chapter 4

As the celebrations came to an end the tributes were whisked away aboard a massive airship bound for their final destination – Games Island.

The organizers put on a splendid display for this occasion as well, bidding the tributes farewell in the most sincere way they could. The chief executive of Cabbage Corp, Cabbage man himself, was in attendance. As the kids made their way up the ramp to the airship he gave them each a head of cabbage. For strength and wisdom of course, almost like a trinket to hold dearly in times of trouble, so the odds may ever be in their favor.

Perhaps it would have been a sincere gesture, if it weren't for the fact that each head of cabbage was also the tributes' only ration for the entire trip to the island, a week long endeavor from Ba Sing Se. No one bothered to tell the tributes of course, even as the ramp was pulled up and the latches to the steel doors were tightened, with the airship rising to the clouds.

Water from the on board purifiers, as the tributes soon found out, was heavily rationed and tasted of rusted steel. Some drew suspicious looks toward the few water-bending tributes, guessing that the rationing was to keep them under control. They would be made to suffer along side them, packed into their tiny cabins like flying-sardines on wall-mounted cots.

It was a far cry from the relative luxury their rooms in Ba Sing Se, more like a prison floating above clouds.

Days passed as their meager rations dwindled. All Sokka could focus on was the growling in his stomach and the urge to find a better cot to sleep on.

He sat up, rubbing the painful knot in his lower back as he bumped his head on the iron bar holding up the cot above him.

He cursed under his breath. "Ugh, I can barely move without bumping my head into something. I hate waiting on this floating tin can."

Just across from him, sitting on a stool as she peeled rotting leaves off a cabbage on a nearby table, Yue attempted to keep things optimistic.

"It's not that bad really. We're not dying."

Sokka scoffed. "Hmph. Not yet anyway."

Her fragile smile broken, Yue sulked. "We've made the cabbages last for longer than was expected. That's thank to Katara of course."

She turned to Sokka's sister, pleading with her eyes to keep up a semblance of hope.

Katara bit her lip, a bitter look twisting face as she leaned back against a cold, steel wall. "Dabbing these things in a bit of water won't do them any good for much longer. The guards are not going to give us more either."

A cynical chuckle as Sokka leaned forward in his seat. "I was getting tired of cabbages anyway. Now that we're out of Ba Sing Se and on our way to our inevitable deaths they don't care about keeping us in shape for the games."

"You found out the hard way didn't you?" asked Katara.

"Yup. Went right up to a guard and asked when dinner would be served. I got a… _polite_ answer from him."

"I hardly imagine a punch to the jaw is a polite response, Sokka," said Yue.

"Maybe he didn't like my tone. I'm told I sound _very_ sarcastic."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That, or maybe he was just ticked that he has to share what little space there is on this ship with a bunch of tributes."

Sokka sighed. "Well, it won't be much longer for him. At least, I think it won't be much longer. I kind of lost track of time dying of boredom on this hunk of metal."

"Yes. Our time to fight is coming soon. Little chance of boredom then," added Yue.

Hopeful at first, the weight of her words began to sink in and the small cabin grew awkwardly silent. It was a sobering feeling. Soon they would have to fight, to die for the amusement of thousands of cheering spectators.

o0o0o0o

"Hey princess, wanna see your brother do something stupid?"

Pursing her lips tightly, Azula was sorely tempted ignore such an insolent remark. Unfortunately, the mind-numbing boredom and sheer anxiety she was subjected to over the past few days were starting to get to her. She was already forming a kill list in her head, with the names of tributes she found most annoying taking priority.

The offer of a brief respite from the boredom was too good to ignore.

Azula sighed. "Very well, little one. I have nothing better to occupy my time with anyway."

Toph soured, attempting to smirk. "Call me little again, princess. I dare ya."

Amused, Azula chuckled imperiously. "How cute. I never thought you would be so easily offended. And here I thought the heir of the illustrious Beifong Clan had tougher skin."

There was brief pause and Azula could feel the blind girl's glossy eyes stare through her. Then, Toph grinned. "Heh. You're right. I am pretty short anyway. C'mon, let's go see your brother."

Ignoring the unusual cheerfulness in her tone, Azula stepped through her doorway and followed Toph down the cramped hallway. Through the steel walls she hear the hum of the engines resonate through the airship and the echo of her boots against the grated walkway. Some of the doors to the cabins were open and a few of the tributes milled about, either talking idly or sleeping.

When Toph had finally led her to the observation room at the lower bow of the airship, Azula was looking forward to a loud and ridiculous spectacle. What she found was a deserted and quiet room. Only one other tribute seemed to occupy the space and it was one Azula wanted avoid altogether, at least until the games.

Toph lifted a finger to her lips. Both girls remained quiet as they cautiously made their way toward the unsuspecting tribute. While a bit disappointed it wasn't her brother, she figured scaring Sokka one more time might alleviate some of her boredom.

Strangely, he had not noticed them, kneeling down and keeping his head to the floor. He seemed to be looking through a hole of some kind, but what he hoped to find was beyond anything Azula could come up with. He looked ridiculous anyway.

When they were finally close enough, Azula took her chance. Inhaling, she made every effort for her voice to pierce Sokka's ears. "Fool!"

The boy practically jumped from the floor like a cat, his chest heaving from the shock. The look of pure terror was too much for Azula. She couldn't prevent herself from laughing as he laid on the floor glaring at her.

Just as Sokka was about to respond to her cackling the metal floor beneath them shifted in a peculiar way, steel straining at the seams. Before he had time to react Azula had fallen on top of him, taken off balance by the sudden shift. Their lips connected as they bumped their foreheads.

Toph's laugh echoed through the room. "Look who's short now, princess!"

There was a shout from the hallway behind her soon after. "What the… Azula!"

Zuko and Ty Lee rushed in, eyes boggling at the awkward sight before them. Her brother couldn't quite believe what he was seeing or with whom he was seeing her.

And then, to Azula's chagrin, he smirked. "Can't wait for mother and father to hear about this. I won't look like the family disappointment anymore."

Cheeks red, infuriated by his tone, Azula violently pushed herself off of Sokka, glaring daggers at her brother.

"Oh, it's okay Azula; girl has her needs! At least you kissed the cute one!" Ty lee chimed in, "Now I get why you were so angry last time he fell over us. I bet you wanted to kiss him too, huh?"

"Shut up! I will not stand for this humiliation!" Azula snapped, the pent up anxiety of days crammed into an airship with people she'd rather kill pouring out of her.

She forcefully pushed pass Zuko as she stormed off into the hallway, his back hitting the wall with a dull metal clang. He grunted in pain, hearing Sokka snicker at him as Toph cackled uncontrollably.

Angered at his sister's behavior, Zuko lashed out at the nearest person he set his eyes on. Impudently, be conjured a ball of fire in his hand and directed it at Sokka who dodged the shot with surprising ease as he got to his feet

Zuko growled. "I'll teach you to laugh at me, peasant!"

Before he could send another ball of fire toward Sokka a swift smack to the back of his head threw him off balance. He turned to find his sister pulling painfully at his ear.

"Idiot! Lets go!" she commanded, forcing him out of the observation room.

While Sokka attempted to piece together the circumstances that led to such an odd encounter, Toph leaned against a wall as she tried to rein in her fit of chuckles.

The pieces suddenly came together for Sokka. "You're enjoying this way too much, Toph."

"Oh, lay off Snoozles, I'm bored out of my skull! How else am I going to entertain myself?"

"How about pranking someone that doesn't involve me?"

"Heh, fat chance of that happening."

Sokka sighed. "You're the worst, you know that?"

Toph grinned unapologetically. "Thanks for noticing!"

o0o0o0o

Dragging her brother swiftly down the cramped hallway and into their cabin, Azula shoved him against the wall, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"What was that?" Azula demanded, "Did you just try to bend _fire_ at that peasant?"

Zuko grunted, rolling his eyes. "So what if it was fire?"

"Well, apart from the fact that we're on an airship kept afloat by _flammable gas_ , you can't go around harming tributes before the games. Those are the rules."

He smiled grimly. "Maybe I just wanted to have a bit of fun before I die a glorious death. You seemed to be enjoying yourself, kissing that tribesman."

Azula growled. "Use your head, you idiot or do you have a cabbage there instead? Knowing you i wouldn't be surprised if you really had it. The organizers punish tributes severally for infractions like that. It robs the people of the _precious_ blood they want to see spilled. Do you want to humiliate yourself before you fight? Bring _dishonor_ to yourself and the family?"

Zuko's smile faded. His eyes were cast down to the floor, unable to say much more.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought not. No more mistakes, no more fooling around. There will be enough time to break free of this crushing boredom. And it will be on the battlefield. Try not to make a fool of yourself until then."

Another day came to an end on the airship as dusk filtered through the small porthole of the cabin. Having been scolded by his sister earlier that day, Zuko took refuge with the few people he could tentatively call his "friends", at least for the time being.

Jet sat on the cot across from him, a leg hanging idle off the edge, while Ty lee sat beside him as she played with his hair, occasionally pecking him on the cheek with her lips. Chan looked incredibly jealous, keeping his fists balled up in his lap. Jet just smiled. Zuko had to grudgingly admit to himself though – he was a bit jealous too.

"So, its true, then? About what happened to Hahn?" Chan insisted.

"I keep telling you man, it's what I heard," Jet said.

"What a loser. From the moment he got here he was boasting how strong he was. Guess he wasn't that smart though. Who breaks into a warehouse just to eat and drink booze?" Chan asked.

"Someone who wanted to wash down the taste of cabbage I guess," Jet retorted, making Ty Lee giggle.

Chan scoffed. "I mean, I can't blame him for that, but come on! What an idiot!"

"Yeah, real stupid move on his part. He shouldn't have gone alone either. No one to help him out," added Zuko, giving Jet a knowing look.

He merely shrugged as a response. "Who would go with him? I don't think ticking off the Dai Li is exactly a great plan."

"And now look at him! He's been quiet and miserable ever since he came out of the administration building back in Ba Sing Se," said Chan.

Ty Lee shivered uncomfortably. "He's like a different person now… I mean, didn't know him that well, but his aura just seems so pale and grey."

Raising his voice, Chan felt vindictive. "Whatever they did to him, I say he deserved it! It's not fair that he got to eat and drink like a king in that warehouse."

"His partner, that white-haired girl? She looks miserable too," Ty Lee added.

"So what? When the games start it won't matter how miserable she looks. What's going to matter is if she can fight or die. That's all the crowds want to see," Zuko growled.

"And we've talked about this already. Alone we die, but if we team up we might have a chance of surviving. Put on a little show for the people watching. We can help other tributes 'leave' the games, then decide what to do next. So what do you say?" Jet said.

It didn't take long for the tributes to come up with an answer.

Zuko nodded. "I'm in."

o0o0o0o

Flying through the clouds toward Omashu on their final leg of the journey, the airship transporting the tributes was followed close behind by another twice its size and twice as luxurious. Unlike its smaller, sparsely decorated counterpart, the influential men and women aboard enjoyed spacious cabins, comfortable beds, and sumptuous food from across the empire.

There was just one problem – their host and owner of that ship, Varrick, was missing. The guests aboard made their displeasure known to anyone who would listen, even to the two games masters who accompanied them on the journey. They were promised entertainment and business deals that only the most eccentric man in the empire could give.

Needless to say they only grew angrier as the days passed, going so far as to threaten refunds for their tickets and take back their investment deals for the games if they were not promised the entertainment they paid for. Some even threaten to leave once they stopped in Omashu, grounding the airship that transported the tributes as well.

For the game masters, Shiro and Xin, things were quickly turning into a public relations nightmare. They could only hope that whatever concerns their guests had would be sorted out once they landed in Omashu for resupply.

"Varrick, you old dog! Where were you hiding? You missed the show in Ba Sing Se!" greeted Xin.

"And all the nobleman wanting to skin us alive because no one was on the airship to entertain them," Shiro added.

When they finally found their missing host both Shiro and Xin were truly relieved.

Varrick grinned. "Well, what can you do, right? Spending some _quality time_ with Zhu Li at a swanky new resort tends to make me lose track of time! Better question: who the heck decided to move up the start date for the games by a whole ten days? And without telling me!" Varrick asked.

Xin was shocked. "Wait, you didn't know about this? We've been sending messages out to you over the wireless about the change a week before! How the hell didn't you get that?"

Annoyed, Varrick threw up his arms dramatically. "How the heck should I know Xin? Either the signal took a wrong turn somewhere or I was too busy relaxing it up to notice."

"Well, the important thing is that you're here," Shiro added, sighing audibly, "Maybe now you can finally keep our guests occupied. They're acting like rabid wolf-bats at this point."

"Yeah, Cabbage Corp's CEO is trying to rein them in, but by now he probably thinks we've abandoned him to the whole pack and they ate him alive, not that it would be any loss, but …."

Puffing out his chest rather dramatically, Varrick beckoned the games masters to follow him. "Fear not my incompetent companions! The Great Entertainer has arrived! C'mon, I'll show you how to sweet-talk 'em! It's all in the act you see, conjure magic for them and they'll be like pudding in your hand!"

Confused, Shiro quirked an eyebrow. "But, why pudding-"

"Nope! Don't question it, already moving on! So is either one of you going to tell me why this schedule was changed or what?"

"We got an update on the weather forecast. Management on the island said there was a storm predicted to hit during the original start date, bad weather for flying the airships," Xin said.

Shiro piped up. "No flying, no killing, and no killing-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture, public outrage, riots in the streets, the districts rising up, the whole world ending," interrupted Varrick, "Pure anarchy, and on top of that, burnt cabbages! Everywhere, the smell of burning cabbages! Nope, can't have that apparently."

Xin eyed Varrick with a puzzled look. "Wait, are you being sarcastic-"

"So I imagine his Highness decided to change the starting date then?" Varrick asked swiftly.

"Um, yes, with Cabbage Corp's insistence of course," said Shiro.

"Right, right, that's predictable," Varrick added, rolling his eyes, "Hey, those two should just up and marry, am I right? Like what Zhu Li and I did! Quick, fast, spur of the moment, let love take them on a journey, all that good stuff."

"Uh, I don't think-"

"Yeah, your probably right, Shiro! Would be the most boring marriage ceremony this side of Snores-ville! Now then, where are our guests? They wanted fun, well, fun just found them! They're gonna have so much fun they'll explode all over the wall in sheer joy, I tell ya!"

o0o0o0o

The day had finally come.

Standing tensely in their starting positions the tributes waited for the inevitable signal to start the games. To start the blood bath they had been training for.

With barely enough time to take in their surroundings, it came. It was a sound like thunder piercing their ears and echoing across the lush, open ground - the signal to start.

Without a second to lose the tributes began to move, their lives hanging in the balance.

"And there they go folks, the time is finally here! Coming to you now live from our airship high above the action, I'm Xin Fu!"

"And I'm Shiro Shinobi!"

"And welcome all to the first day of the Kyoshi Games!"

"I'm certainly excited Xin! I don't know about you, but I've been waiting far too long for these games!"

"Same here Shiro! Let's hope we won't wait long for some blood to be spilled today. There are a lot of expectations riding on the tributes for this year."

"Indeed Xin! We'll keep the folks at home posted on all the latest events. Now then, lets drop in to see the action unfolding below, shall we?"

Once the signal was given Sokka and Katara rushed in the direction of the forest. Toph, Duke, and Teo decided to follow their example, running through the thick under-growth bordering the trees. The rest of the tributes rushed to the massive pile of bags, hoping to get much needed supplies.

Sprinting as fast as they could, Zuko and Azula were the first pair to reach the pile, snatching up several bags before rushing away from the on-coming group of tributes.

In the desperate melee that ensued Zuko managed to land a succession of hits on Haru. The earthbender crumpled to the ground in pain, clutching at his bruises. Rushing just behind him was Azula, side-stepping Meng before landing a swift kick to her side. Her breath knocked out of her, the poor tribute fell into the dirt.

As the siblings rushed away Jet managed to reach the goodies pile next, opening several bags as he looked for anything useful. He tossed away daggers in one, missing Haru only several centimeters, but scaring the crap out of him, while throwing a boomerang over his shoulder at some imaginative tribute. Finally grasping at something worthwhile, Jet hoisted up a small hatchet from one of the bags. Turning, he quickly set his gaze on an airbender and with a powerful throw the hatchet sailed through the air. Several seconds later the hapless tribute had his head split open. A fountain of blood spewed from his forehead. He was dead before his knees touched the ground.

Smirking proudly, the thrill of his first kill was soured by a scream. A tribeswoman, the white-haired waterbender he barely knew, flung herself to the dirt for protection. When she got to her knees she cried out in horror, her clothes and face spattered with the airbender's blood.

Over her cries a loud bang announced the first kill of the games, echoing through the air. Stunned, the other tributes went on. To live or die, they could not tell. All that was left for them now was to survive.

Shiro's eyes widened at the spectacle below. "Wow folks! Only several minutes into the games and we can already announce that one of the tributes has claimed first blood!"

"You're telling me Shiro! We got a gusher over here!" said Xin.

"The first kill goes to Jet from District Three, practically _vanquishing_ Jinju from District Ten with a quick and bloody blow to the head with a hatchet! It should be no surprise he would be first to draw blood."

"That's right Shiro. From a recent survey by the good people of Ba Sing Se, Jet was voted as one of the tributes to wrack up their first kill, with Longshot and Suki as other top contenders."

"Indeed, Xin! Non-benders usually dominate the early stages of the games and it looks like this first kill is no exception to that rule."

"Helps that the benders are chi-blocked too beforehand I suppose. To make the opening phases of the games more fair of course, forcing all tributes to rely on their strength and wit to survive initial blood bath."

"Looks like the tributes from District One had the right idea then, bugging out before they could commit to a fight. To let the effects wear off."

"Looks like it Shiro," Xin agreed, "I'm pretty ticked off that tribute from District Twelve wasn't killed by now. That boy, whatever his name was. I imagine many among our audience betted he'd be one of the first to go."

"Well my friend there may yet be time for that! We haven't seen our first Water Tribe kill and I know our audience is chomping at the bit for one! We'll keep them updated as events play out."

Running toward the large pile of bags at full speed, Smellerbee reached out and quickly swiped up the closest one she could grab.

And it was only a moment later that, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a tribute rushing toward her, roaring at the top of his lungs, a long spear glinting in the sun. Her eyes widened. It was a tribesman, the one that got caught drunk at the warehouse in Ba Sing Se. Looks like he decided to redeem himself by showing initiative and ferocity.

With her heart pounding in her ears, she hastily opened her bag, hoping for something to defend herself with. As luck would have it she grasped at the handle of a short sword.

As boy's war cry grew louder, her fingers tightened quickly over the handle as she wrenched it from the bag. Lunging to the side, wincing at the sharp cut on her right arm, Smellerbee barely dodged the attack. The tribesman's spear lodged itself into the pile. In one swift motion, just as the tribute turned to face her, struggling with his spear, Smellerbee cut him down, opening his belly with a deep cut. Blood sprayed her sword and face. With a cry the tribute went down, red staining the grass under him, his eyes forever opened in horror.

She barely had time to register what she had done, her brush with death shaking her nerves as she rushed away from the bag pile, the fear of dying propelling her forward, refusing to look back. The deed was done. All there was left now was to run and survive. She hoped Longshot made it out too.

o0o0o0o

Weaving through the chaos around goodies' pile, Suki struggled to grab a hold of any bags within her reach. When she finally took hold of one, she quickly opened it to find two war fans and a trident. The spirit of Kyoshi surely smiled upon her this day, in her most desperate struggle.

As she leapt down from the pile, keeping any onrushing tributes at bay with her trident, Suki turned away to flee into the forest. She slowed her pace when she spied Yue hunched in the grass beside a lifeless body, her shoulders trembling, patches of blood spattered across her tunic.

She made her way over to Yue as cautiously as she could, eyes darting from the tributes near the bag pile and back. The girl didn't even seem to notice her, even when she brandished her trident, her tense fingers gripping the shaft. She just knelt beside the body, completely frozen. She was in a miserable, shaken state.

During their short stay in Ba Sing Se Suki was able to get along with her. She had befriended Katara and Toph as well, in way that only some tributes could bond when faced with inevitable death. They made small talk, shared stories of their respective districts, and even discussed the possibility of alliances when the first day of the games finally came. They were so hopeful, so optimistic.

All those promises, all those long hours of talking like gossiping girls by the village well, faded away. Katara, Sokka, and Toph were long gone. To Suki, they had gone back on their word as soon as she made a rush for the pile. They had betrayed her trust.

And now Yue had deteriorated into a shaking, blood-covered liability. Even her partner, Hahn, was dead. Suki passed his body sprawled on the ground near the bag pile, the grass around him stained red. The girl wouldn't last for much longer. Someone would pick her off.

As Suki stood over Yue, flies buzzing around the dead airbender she hunched beside, she was left with one grim choice. There were people watching her, people that might have a vested interest in seeing her survive the games. If the only way to garner favor was through blood, then there was no other choice left to her. It was like her own blood, Kyoshi's blood, demanded this bloody sacrifice.

"I can't," Yue muttered, rocking back and forth as she balled her hands into fists, "I can't do this… I can't do this… why did they send me here?"

Suki's lips tightened, her eyes stinging with grief. If it had to be done, then it would be by her hand. She raised her trident up and aimed for the most vulnerable spot she could find. It would be a swift, clean kill. An honorable death for a person she knew only for a few days. Perhaps she deserved that much.

Her shadow loomed over Yue like the specter of death. Suki gulped hard, bitterly swallowing the last of her emotions. The trident fell swiftly. Yue's body fell with it.

Hands shaking, the phantom feeling of steel piercing soft flesh sinking into her mind, Suki let go of the trident, buried deep into Yue's neck as her body hunched forward over the dead airbender.

She quickly unsheathed her fans preparing to face anyone brave or stupid enough to attack her. Seeing that no other tribute approached her to do battle, many of them still struggling over the supplies by the huge bag pile, Suki rushed to the safety of the outlying forest.

She didn't look back. As she rushed pass the pine trees, sunlight dappling in her eyes, she steeled herself for the worst and hoped that, in the bloody days to come, she would not join her would-be friend in the afterlife.

o0o0o0o

Xin was positively thrilled. "And another one bites the dusts, folks! It's our first Water Tribe kill!"

"Make that _two_ Water Tribe kills, my friend!" added Shiro.

"Ah, right you are! Their tracking collars chimed in almost at the same time. Those little things are a blessing, Shiro, I tell ya!"

"Indeed! Not only do those metal collars the tributes wear track their every movement, but they can also register when they die."

Xin nodded, "Right, and that little signal gets sent back to us, so that we can update our audience on the latest kills."

Shiro laughed, "Well don't keep them waiting!"

"Sure, sure, don't get your panties in a jumble. Anyway, looks like Yue and Hahn from District Eleven have been eliminated, which also makes this our first pair from a district completely killed off."

"Yes, and as expected Suki from District Seven delivered the final blow against Yue, with an unexpected theatrical touch to it. Almost like watching a mover drama unfold. Those Kyoshi Warriors certainly live up to their name."

"Yeah, and Smellerbee from District Five cut down Hahn with some surprising finesse. Just one step and one cut was enough to do him in!"

"She certainly stings like a bee, eh Xin?"

He laughed. "Got that right, Shiro! As of now though the rest of the tributes have scattered from the starting area, carrying off as many supplies as they can. There were a couple of scuffles here and there near the pile, but nothing too serious. They'll be saving their strength for the days ahead." Shiro nodded.

"I agree. Now, don't you worry folks, even though the action is dying down there will be plenty more to come. With this lull we can afford to touch upon this year's stage." Xin chimed in.

"Right, right. Well this year's fighting area is centered on a little uninhabited island in the southern seas, near Kyoshi Island. Thick forests, grassy clearings in between, and tall rocky shores with a few sandy beaches."

"I heard the waters around this island are practically _infested_ with unagi, Xin."

"Well, that's absolutely true Shiro. Any tribute that tries to take a dip in the ocean is gonna get a nasty surprise."

"I'll say! One last little detail for you folks. Somewhere on this island is a little building, or a safe house if you want to get technical, where a few lucky tributes can rest. This year's safe house is huge comfortable bath."

Xin raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit strange, don't you think?"

"Well, previous buildings from past games had more strange features than this one has. If any tribute can find this hidden place, they'll certainly have a rare luxury waiting for them."

"Or one of them can get the bright idea to turn it into a place for an ambush." Xin added.

"That's also true! It's whatever the tributes need it for. Either way it's just another thing for them to exploit as they try to survive the games. For those listening at home, stayed tuned to this channel for more exciting updates as the games unfold! We'll be back after this commercial break."


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Did i forgot to post it or what? Well ... here it comes. Be warned since the things happen in this chapter and its NSFW.**

Stray twigs scarped at their arms and legs, cutting their sweat stained faces. The trees that towered over them were green blurs as they ran as fast as they could, stumbling over roots, jumping over rocks. The screams of fighting tributes faded and soon all that was left was the rustling of trees in the wind and the sound of their hearts pounding in their ears.

As Sokka rushed close behind Katara his handler's words rang across his exhausted mind. They offered him little comfort.

 _If you want to win, put on a show. If you want to die, make it spectacular. If you want to survive, hide. And with luck you'll live._

He hardly had a plan for either. Dying was certainly not an option, but that wasn't up to him. The more thought he put into those words, the more he suspected his handler was just screwing with him.

Finally, Katara began to slow down, sheer exhaustion taking its toll. She collapsed on a pile of dry leaves, wheezing with every breath she took. Sokka attempted to lean against a nearby tree before falling to his knees.

"Okay," Katara gasped, "Okay, I think we can rest now."

"Fuck," Sokka breathed, clutching his chest, "How far did we run anyway?"

"Far enough from anyone chasing us hopefully," she sighed, taking a much needed breath.

For a time the two siblings said nothing, recuperating their strength as they lay among the fallen leaves. It was eerily calm, with nothing but the strain of bark in the wind, the chirping of birds.

Their ears perked up as they heard footsteps crunch against the dried leaves and grass.

Stiffening up, readying for a fight, their would-be opponent came out from a behind a tree, hands raised harmlessly behind her head.

"Relax dweebs. I'm not your enemy here. If I was gonna fight you two, I wouldn't have given you a chance to get up," said Toph, a wide smirk plaster across her face.

Uncertainty lingered in the air between them. Neither Katara nor Sokka were willing to let their guard down.

Sensing their reluctance Toph shook her head and pouted. "For crying out, my arms are getting tired here! I'm being serious. I've been following you the whole time! I could've bent the earth beneath you two instead wasting my time talking!"

With no small sense of relief, Sokka rolled his eyes, loosening up his stance as he walked toward the earthbender.

"Can you blame us for being just a _bit_ on edge? We are in a _death game_ after all," grinned Sokka, extending his arms out.

"Yeah, no shit Snoozles, I'm in it too," retorted Toph, taking Sokka in a hearty embrace, "Damn good to see you."

"Same," smiled Sokka, hugging Toph back.

"How were you able to follow us, Toph? We should've heard you coming," said Katara, patting the girl on the shoulder, smiling with relief.

"C'mon Sugar Queen. I'm Toph Beifong that's as good enough of an explanation as any!" she grinned.

Katara gave her an uncertain look. "Uh. Okay then, I guess."

"I'm surprised you two are still alive honestly. Tribesmen have short lifespans in the games."

"Most tribesmen aren't like Sokka and I," Katara smirked.

Toph grinned viciously, punching Katara in the arm. "That's what I like to hear, Sugar Queen!"

"Ow, hey! Take it easy Toph."

"Oh, that was love tap! We'll be _covered_ in bruise by the time these games end."

"If we make it out alive that is." Warned Sokka.

Feeling a measure of safety in the relative seclusion of their little patch of forest, the three tributes rested a bit longer, making small talk as the sun shined through the leaves above. With Toph by their side the two siblings made it clear to their companion that their odds of survival were far better, to which the earthbender firmly agreed.

They set out not long after their rest, traversing a steep and rocky hill lined with trees. It was rough going, but as the day grew dimmer they agreed to set up camp on top of the hill, hoping to take advantage of its elevation and favorable defensive qualities.

As they made themselves comfortable in secluded area among thick undergrowth they prepared for the coming of night. With Katara and Toph's bending still blocked, they would have to wait until the morning to go on the attack, hoping their bending would return by then. It would be a long night for all of them.

"Hey, you guys know how to use these, right?" asked Toph, revealing a pair of binoculars and a short hunting knife.

Sokka eyes lit up, graciously taking the items from the earthbender. "I'll take those!"

Katara did a double take, shaking her head in disbelief. "Wait a minute, how did you get those?"

"Duh, she's Toph Beifong, Katara. Isn't that enough of an explanation?" retorted Sokka.

"I… oh, whatever," Katara sighed, "Probably got it off a dead tribute or something."

"What are you going to do with those things anyway, Snoozles?"

"Night's coming fast. I'm gonna see if I can find a vantage point and act as lookout for the night. Might need to climb a tree."

"Pfft, a lookout? Please, we won't need that!" said Toph, "I'll sense whoever's coming before you can even spot them."

"Just be careful Sokka. Try not to fall off a branch, okay? I won't be able to heal you," warned Katara.

"Relax, I got this! My eyesight's like an eagle!" Sokka assured them.

With that he set off into the forest. Finding a tall tree with a good view over the valley below, Sokka climbed up as carefully as he could, finding a strong branch to rest upon. Minutes passed as the sun began to set, but his lone vigil paid off. Through his binoculars in a small clearing Sokka was able to spot a sizeable group. Squinting hard, adjusting the focus on the lenses, he felt the blood in his veins freeze over when got a better look.

He counted six in total, all well armed with swords, knives, and arrows. He could make out the color of their clothing, with half sporting red. It wasn't until he adjusted the focus again that he could make out their features. A hideous burn scar on one, brown messy hair on another, one with a conical hat, one with a piece of straw in his mouth, one sporting a permanent frown, and one with dagger-like bangs.

He couldn't believe it. It was Jet and Zuko walking side by side, with Azula trailing behind them, flanked by their companions.

His heart raced. They had made an alliance, Sokka was sure of it. Some of the most fearsome tributes expected to succeed in the games walking hand in hand.

Fortunately for him they didn't seem to be making their way toward his location. He merely kept his gaze focused on them until they were out of sight.

Hours passed as dusk approached without much note. Sokka caught himself nodding off at one point and he forced himself to stay awake, trying to balance himself on the branch. Taking one last look through the binoculars he scanned the tree line and outlying clearings for any movement.

At the corner of his vision, steel glinting in the dusk light, he spotted another group as they moved into the forest. He could barely make out the green uniform of a Kyoshi warrior, with at least two other tributes trailing behind her. That had to be Suki and who ever she managed to ally herself with.

As he swung around to scan the nearby forest he could barely make out another group moving among the trees. It was hard to tell, but he could barely make out the bright orange tunics of two airbenders, along with another tribute clad in green. Given that both were still walking, the blocking effect had not worn off for them either. Sokka counted the few blessings he was given since the games started. To him the airbenders were a great threat. If they able to fly, there'd be no hiding from them.

Again the hours passed without much incident and the groups he spotted earlier faded away into the forest as night fell across the island. A cool wind rustled the leaves in his tree and Sokka felt a terrible chill course through his body. It was time to go.

Climbing down from the tree and stowing away his binoculars Sokka unsheathed his knife, moving carefully through the undergrowth back to the campsite. Although his eyes had trouble adjusting to the dark he nonetheless made his way forward, making as little noise as he could.

When he finally arrived he could barely make out Katara and Toph in the dark, their silhouettes blending into the shadows. Oddly enough he could also hear chewing, with the soft chime of tin clanging against tin.

He sniffed air around the camp. "Is… is that food?"

"Hello to you two Snoozles," Said Toph, "Sensed you coming a mile away. Katara got worried for second when she heard footsteps, but I set her straight."

"Well, that's all good and fine, but where did the food come from?" asked Sokka, taking his seat beside them, his mouth salivating.

"Duh, I'm Toph Bei-"

"Airbender," Katara interrupted, swallowing her food, "An airbender messenger was sent out by a sponsor. Dropped off a care package for us with some food and a note. Said it was for Toph and her friends."

The blind earthbender groaned. "That's sounds so _boring_ when you put it that way! You should have left it vague, let the mystery build around it. It makes me sound more _awesome_ that way."

Unmoved, Katara merely shrugged. "Whatever you say, Toph."

"You two better have saved some for me, I'm starving," added Sokka, scrounging through the messenger bag for some food.

"Yeah yeah, quit whining will ya," muttered Toph, "There's plenty in there for all of us should last us a few days if we ration it well."

" _If_ we last that long," added Sokka. "I spotted three groups of tributes not far from here, to the northeast, east, and southeast. They weren't heading our way, but we need to move carefully. One group had six tributes in total. I think Zuko and Azula are with them."

"Don't sweat it, Snoozles, you got me!" said Toph, puffing out her chest and pounding it with her fist, "I'm the best earthbender on this island, Princess Short-Fuse and Sparky got _nothing_ on me!"

Katara shook her head, scoffing at her bravado. "Even if we do have the best earthbender with us, I still don't like those odds. Sokka's right, Toph. We need to move carefully, at least until our bending is back."

"And when it does those two will be in for a world of hurt!" she grinned, a fist planted into her open palm, "Class is in session boys and girls and Professor Pain's giving the lesson!"

"Well _professor_ you can't do much without your _bending_ can you?" added Sokka, picking up a food tin and a fork, "So we play it cool and move carefully until you get it back, okay?"

"Yes _mom_ , I heard you the first time."

"Super. Now, if you two don't mind I'm going to be tuning you out as I devour this meatloaf."

o0o0o0o

Ty Lee was exhausted.

Fleeing into the vast golden plains and running for most of the day, propelled onward by a deep sense of fear, sheer fatigue had finally taken its toll on her body. She slowed her pace, coming to rest among a pile of boulders jutting out from the tall grass as she caught her breath. She wheezed as she gulped down air, the pain in her chest excruciating. There was nothing to be done.

If she stayed near the starting point there was no telling what could have happened, what she could have done to defend herself. If anyone were to find out she was a chi-blocker she'd be dead. Benders hated her kind. If she lived to escape Ty Lee would have been their first target. She wouldn't let that happen.

The afternoon sky rolled overhead as Ty Lee laid in the shade of the boulders, the tall grass gently rustling in the wind. It was quiet save for her breathing, but it was a welcome calm as the pain in her chest subsided. She was far from danger at the moment. She was thankful for that.

When her breathing calmed she attempted to sit up, every part of her body protesting as bones and muscles ached with pain. Gritting her teeth, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and gazed out over the wild, rolling fields. It was beautiful to say the least, how the grass seemed to stretch out for miles as it turned a golden orange in the light of the setting sun.

And it was over that great distance that Ty Lee was able to spot a lone structure jutting out from the plains, a marble-gray eyesore amid a sea of sunbaked grass.

"What the hell?" she muttered groggily, squinting her eyes, "Is that a house?"

Disbelief gave way to quiet joy. A shelter, sanctuary to ride out the storm! Her eyes lit up, a small jolt of energy coursing through her at the discovery. If no other tribute was there, then she could claim it for herself, having an actual roof over her head, resting in relative comfort as the others bludgeoned themselves in the wild.

That thought alone push her up from the ground, wading through the tall grass with a renewed sense of urgency. She had to claim it.

Crouching low Ty Lee crept forward, fighting through the soreness in her feet and keeping her head down just below the frayed edges of the tall grass. Luck seemed to smile upon her. As she got closer there didn't seem to be anyone around.

That, or whoever might be there was waiting inside to ambush her.

Gulping hard and hoping her luck would hold, Ty Lee crept forward.

Opening the door to the place elicited no response from any potential enemy inside. Making her way down the dark staircase and into the underground halls seemed to make no impression either. Ty Lee poked her head cautiously into each of the rooms; all of them empty save for the surprising amount of supplies stashed into every corner. She smiled greedily to herself, proud of her discovery. Luck had truly shined upon her.

As she opened a large ornate door to one of the last rooms Ty Lee was taken aback, eyes boggling out of their sockets.

It was bathhouse, its interior lavishly decorated with colorful frescos and lavish bass reliefs, the air tinged with a sumptuously sweet scent.

It was a gift from the heavens, a welcome sight after hours of running up a sweat, caked in dust and marred with scratches. She was already pulling at the collar on her tunic and clumsily unfastening the strap on her waist, eager for a swim.

"Oh spirits," breathed Ty Lee, smiling from cheek to cheek as she finally shook off her clothes, "I'm in paradise!"

Time lost all sense of meaning to Ty Lee. Indulging in the pleasures of her discovery she had spent what seemed like hours in the waters of the bath, the scent of rosy perfumes heavy in the hazy room. The luxuries she experienced in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se seemed second-class compared to the small slice of heaven she found herself in.

Languid and refreshed, Ty Lee was content to lie down on a nearby reclining wooden chair, basking in the warmth of the steam. She felt safe in her little sanctuary, stripped naked with only a towel to cover her, as she let the heat from the room dry off her rosy pink skin. Slowly her eyes began to shut, lazily drifting to sleep as she attempted put the troubles of the day far from her mind.

Little did she know that trouble would find her.

Voices from the hallway behind the bath's doors roused her from her sleep, low and hushed. Slowly Ty Lee raised her head, still groggy and dazed. By the time she realized that her little slice paradise was intruded upon her would-be assailants had stormed through the doors. Her heart leapt out of her chest as she jumped from her chair, stumbling to her feet. She got too comfortable. They had her right where they wanted her, caught without her weapon and completely exposed. She was done for.

As the warm and hazy steam filtered out through the gaping doorway Ty Lee got a better look at her attackers. Two boys, haggard and disheveled, anxious for a fight they hoped they could win. One wore green and sported a thick moustache, while the other wore red. a fellow countrymen. More than that however, he had a recognizable face from her district.

Her eyes widened. "Chan? Is that you?"

In the dim light Ty Lee could see his shoulders slacken, his harsh features soften. "… Ty Lee?"

The boy in green beside him piped up, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "Wait, you _know_ her?"

"She's my partner, Haru. Just relax. She's not going to fight us," Chan reassured him, urging the boy to lower his stance. "Isn't that right, Ty Lee? Come on, no need to turn on each other, we agreed to stick together. Things were chaotic at the starting point, its not like I _abandoned_ you."

For a time silence fell across the room. Sighing with a measure of relief Ty Lee relaxed herself, chuckling lightly as she shook her head.

"You're right, Chan," she admitted, a little of her bubbly demeanor returning to her, "You two gave me such a scare though! Seriously, my heart was _pounding_."

Glancing at Haru, Chan nodded his head slightly, to which the boy looked infinitely relieved as he lowered his fists.

"Well we _were_ expecting a fight you know," retorted Chan, "We had no idea who'd be behind those doors. With the way the games started I figure we'd take no chances and just fight it out."

"Good thing you didn't!" Ty Lee giggled, placing a hand on her hip, "So who's this?"

A bit miffed by her comment, Chan brushed it off. "A new _friend_ of mine. Or should I say _our_ new friend. Took some convincing but he agreed to ally with me when this thing started. He can be your ally too."

"Uh, hi. M-My name is Haru. I'm an earthbender," he stuttered, smiling awkwardly.

A hand on each hip, Ty Lee eyed the boy with a curious glint in her eyes. He struggled to keep his eyes from raking over her body, something that she found strikingly entertaining. With only a towel to cover her, all he could really see were the little droplets of water running down her long taut legs, a noticeable blush coloring his tanned cheeks.

"Haru, huh?" she said, tilting her head to the side, grinning playfully, "Cute name. Just like you."

His eyes widened. "Oh. Uh, well, thank you?"

"Your welcome," Ty Lee cooed, her grin widening.

The moustache may have been a bit much, but Haru certainly was a catch. She'd be lying to herself if she didn't genuinely find him attractive, which only made her little compliment all the more convincing.

Chan looked visibly annoyed, eyeing Ty Lee harshly. "Well, what do think? I trust him well enough to have him stick around with us."

"Y-Yes! Really, you don't have to worry about me! I want to make it out of these games alive too. Its better to have allies right? The more you have the more likely you'll survive."

"Oh, I like the way you think, Haru!" Ty Lee said, "You're pretty smart actually. Isn't that right Chan?"

He grinned slowly. "Absolutely."

Ty Lee grinned, walking at a deliberate pace toward Haru. "I had the same thought too. We don't need to fight each at all really, why bother."

"R-Right!" Haru piped up, unable to tear his gaze away from Ty Lee.

Giggling, she slinked her way closer to Haru, feeling Chan's harsh eyes giving her a once over. She quite liked it actually, the attention they gave her, how they undressed her with their eyes. She wasn't intimidated; in fact, she was in control.

Haru was already putty in her hands and Chan's subtle jealously was working to her advantage. Unlike the girls in these games, boys were so easily tempted, so easily manipulated. Already she was cooking up a devious plan for them, one that matched a fervently growing desire. If there was one thing more stupid than the average boy it was a horny one. She could use that to benefit her.

Step by tantalizing step her wet feet patted against the stone floor until she was barely an inch away from Haru. His nostrils flared as he kept his mouth pinched tight, his bashfulness making him stiff. Ty Lee merely smiled at him, reaching out a hand and idly brushing off some of the dust from his shoulders, sampling his body with her eyes.

"Fighting is such a drag isn't it?" she said, a hand feeling up the taut muscles of his arm, "You get dirty, bloodied, bruised, and for what? A couple of scars and a black aura hovering over you like a rain cloud. Who wants that?"

"But we have to fight," Haru said, his breath short as he ogled Ty Lee's body, the sweet scent of roses permeating off her, "Its how we win the games."

" _We_ don't have to fight each other, right?" Ty Lee said, looking up at him as innocently as she could, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck, "I definitely don't want to fight you, Haru. We could do so much more than that."

The earthbender gulped hard, looking into those big gray eyes of hers and avoided to look below. "Like what?"

She chuckled lightly at his naivety, a hand gently rubbing the back of his neck. "Fulfilling fantasies. Making wild dreams come true. You're one of the final pieces to mine you know."

Haru smiled awkwardly. "O-Oh, one of the pieces? What do you mean?"

She merely chuckled, capturing his lips in a sudden, fervent kiss. The boy, although taken off guard, slowly let his guard down and gave in to the bewildering moment.

Briefly Ty Lee parted her lips from his. "You starting to understand now?"

"Definitely. I' starting to like this alliance," Haru said, leaning in to kiss her again, his firm hands massaging her hips, pulling her body close to his.

The earth-bender's reluctance evaporated, the lingering tension from before a distant and silly memory. Chan's cooperation was a given, Ty Lee was sure of it. They were partners after all. Haru was an unknown variable, but she didn't think he'd give in this quickly to her wiles. Perhaps she had underestimated herself on this occasion.

The boy was eager to taste her lips, deepening the kiss with his tongue, his hands roaming over her firm buttocks. She moaned into his mouth, relishing his touch. As they kissed Chan stood in awe, growing more aroused as his partner gave her gave in to the moment.

Ty Lee slowly broke off from her kiss, turning to Chan with pleading eyes. "Its no fun just to watch you know…"

The firebender smiled eagerly. "Damn right it isn't."

With that Chan made his way over to Ty Lee, pressing his body against her as his hands grabbed hold of her hips, kissing her neck. The sensation made her blush as Haru's hands glided over her chest, undoing the towel that covered her as it dropped to the floor.

"You two are certainly eager," she purred, moaning as the boys' hands roamed her body, massaging her hips and breasts.

Feeling emboldened, Ty Lee whispered into Haru's ear, pleading with him to disrobe. The earthbender agreed, taking a step back as he began to strip in front of her. It only served to stoke the fire of arousal in her belly as Chan's hands glided up to her breasts, giving them a nice squeeze.

She hummed with pleasure. "Come on partner, you get your clothes off too."

After both boys disrobed, bearing themselves to Ty Lee's hungry eyes, they motioned toward her, sandwiching her between them as Chan laid claim to her neck, Haru pinching her nipples as he passionately kissed her.

"You two must really want me," she breathed, blushing with excitement. "Lie down for me then."

Although reluctant, both Chan and Haru complied, with their stiffened erections a telltale sign of how much she had them under her thumb.

With a bit of playful nudging Ty Lee made Chan lie on his back, leaning over him she settled her hips just above his head. He wasted no time as his tongue gently began to lick her pussy, making Ty Lee shutter with delight as she sat on his face.

Ravenously eyeing Haru's engorged cock as he sat up just in front of her, Ty Lee leaned forward, urged him to come closer, and lowered her head down between his legs. She teasingly licked the head, eliciting a moan from Haru as she continued to do so. Swirling her tongue around the tip she gradually took him into her mouth, sucking him off inch-by inch.

"Oh fuck," Haru breathed, a hand running through Ty Lee's towel-dried hair, parting the loose strains from her face.

Waves of pleasure emanated through Ty Lee, her heart beating against her chest like a drum. Chan clamped his mouth over her clit, playing with the swollen pink bead with his tongue, making her roll her hips against his head, her sweet juices coating his lips. Haru watched in awe as his penis disappeared into her slick mouth without so much as a gag; her head bobbing up and down as she worked to bring him to his climax.

"Oh spirits," Haru sighed, his fingers raking through Ty Lee's hair.

Her mouth felt so good. As he began to buck his hips, slowly thrusting into her mouth, she hardly even protested, the wet sucking noise of his cock gliding in and out propelling him onward to bring himself over the edge. He was in heaven.

Yet just as he came to his climax, groaning with pleasure as he released his thick load into her mouth, a glint of steel caught his eye as Ty Lee parted her lips from his flaccid cock. He was still coming down from his high to properly register the danger he was in.

Before Haru knew it a sharp pain ran across the length of his neck, cutting deep and rending the skin. He tried to cry out in pain. All he could muster was a gurgle as he choked on his own blood, the life leaving his green eyes as his body fell back against stone floor.

Chan felt Ty lee shift her weight above him, slightly changing position. When he opened his eyes to look up he caught a glimpse of her in the dim light, a knife in her hand dripping with blood, ejaculate running down her chin.

Terror set in and Chan immediately threw her off of him. Struggling to his feet he saw Haru lying motionless on the floor, streaks of red coating his neck. Panicking, he moved back toward the edge of the pool, thinking to put some distance between him and Ty Lee.

Her voice echoed across the room, pleading with him. "Wait, Chan! Don't worry I'm not going to kill you!"

"How can you say that after _just killing_ Haru!?"

"He had to go Chan! Cute as he was, he wasn't one of us. He could have turned on us, fooled us by acting all naïve."

Chan blinked, shaking his head. "I… I thought I could trust him. He seemed so sincere about allying with me. With us."

"We have to play it smart here, Chan. Don't worry though. He's gone now. I don't want you to die," she said, standing up as she reached out her hand to him, "The only thing I want you to do is fuck me."

Staring in disbelief, Chan chuckled a little, taking her hand as he pulled her into an embrace. "You're one crazy girl."

Ty Lee giggled. "You have no idea."

o0o0o0o

"Boy, what a show! Good thing we had cabbage-phones installed inside the building! We could hear everything that was happening in there, and I do mean everything folks!"

"Right you are Shiro! It sounded like miss Ty Lee was quite the dangerous little vixen despite her cheerfulness. Tribute Haru never stood a chance with her act."

"Would you call that a happy ending, Xin?"

"Well depends on who you ask, Shiro! Anyway, that's one more tribute out of the way folks. The death toll continues to rise! That little sound bite was possible with Cabbage Corps' own patented cabbage-phones, available at all retail stores. Be sure to order your own! Now then, lets see if we can listen in again…"

o0o0o0o

She couldn't accurately gauge how she felt when she started to come down from her brief erotic high. She worked up more of a sweat sucking Haru off and at least that took some effort on his part. Whatever she was expecting from Chan she was definitely expecting more. As the boy rolled off of her and onto his back with a satisfied smile, his cum still freshly spattered over her inner thighs, Ty Lee finally had a word to describe it all – disappointing.

He had started off well enough, working wonders with his mouth and getting her nice and wet, the anticipation building up in her body as she savored every little pinch and bite and lick. It was a pleasurable kind of torture.

And that's when things started to go awry.

When he flipped her onto her back, preparing to take her on the floor, she was all too willing to let him. The flicker in his eyes said it all and gave away a desire for her she was not expecting. His kisses were desperate enough and he was hard enough, nothing could go wrong.

But when he tried to penetrate her, despite all her willingness to be rocked and ravished, he couldn't satisfy her the way she wanted to. He made things quite uncomfortable for her and moved in a way that hardly stimulated her despite his obvious enjoyment. She had to get herself off while he felt content to put all his effort into his feeble little thrusts, quickly coming to his peak.

When Chan finally reached his climax Ty Lee was forced to keep up the act of being aroused, feigning enjoyment in his release.

"That was fun, huh?" Chan breathed, lying next to her on the stone floor.

"Oh, yeah…" she said, attempting to sound tired, "Real fun."

This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. This little shelter, this slice of paradise, was hers. She had the bath, she had the supplies, and she had every luxury accounted for. It was all hers. She was even gracious enough to let Chan in, to be a part of her fun. If she couldn't have a partner that could satisfy her, to see her as an equal...

"Hey, Ty Lee?" Chan said, sitting up as he began to stretch, "I'm going to take a swim. Why don't you clean up get rid of the body, yeah? It's only fair, since you're the one that killed him. I'll watch the place."

… Well then what good was a partner at all?

"Sure thing!" Ty Lee said a little too cheerfully, quickly getting to her feet as she scooped up her knife, moving slowly behind Chan's back. "I'll get right on that…"

o0o0o0o

"Well folks this little tribute continues to surprise!"

"Indeed Xin! With two betrayals within an hour of each other and two tributes dead on the floor of the bath complex, Ty Lee is certainly on a roll!"

"You think she has what it takes to survive, Shiro?"

"Only time will tell my friend! And for all you listeners at home stay tuned to this channel to get all the exciting news and events related to the Kyoshi Games!"


	6. Chapter 6

Azula and Zuko stopped running and sat near a huge log to examine what they had managed to grab.

Azula looked to her brother with some annoyance. "Why do you look disappointed, Zuzu? You've got a sword, wasn't that what you wanted?"

"This is a _jian_. I wanted the dual dao swords!" Zuko yelled.

"A sword is sword, brother, I don't see why you should be so disappointed. Be happy that you didn't get another pair of fans!" – and indeed right next to Zuko was lying a pair of simple fans that were looking like Kyoshi herself was depicted to have used them in one of many statues, that Zuko tossed away just a couple minutes ago before finding sword in another bag. "If you don't like it then you can go back to goodie pile and _ask_ for the dual dao swords as nicely as you can." Azula smirked.

His eyes were full of hope. "You really think they would do that?"

"Oh, _absolutely_. But before that they'll slice you into pieces and leave your mangled remains to rot on the ground," Azula laughed.

Zuko frowned at his sister. "Why you have to be like that? What did you get anyway?"

"I'm glad you asked. I have two bags worth of survival supplies, including food, water, and rope to tie you up with before you do something that could cost you your life." Azula replied.

Zuko paid no attention to her verbal jabs, instead was drawn to the bags of food with his saliva practically dripping from his lips.

"You're gonna share that food right? You know our parents told us to stay together," Zuko said.

"It does me no good to let you starve to death. Where's the fun in that?"

Rolling his eyes, Zuko merely accepted her comments as a 'yes', or as close to one as she could possibly make it.

o0o0o0o

After some time resting the two siblings ventured out to look for their friend Mai. Zuko and Azula made a deal with her before the start of games. Her skill with bladed weapons would be a good addition to their team. And if she fulfilled her use in good time, then Azula would simply get rid of her.

It didn't take long to find Mai. She was already dreadfully bored waiting for Azula and Zuko at their designated meet-up location, leaving soon after to look for a better place to camp.

o0o0o0o

The trio trekked through the forest without much incident walking until Azula heard something odd off in the distance. Everyone stopped, keeping quiet. Zuko unsheathed his sword while Mai prepared her knives. Seconds later, appearing from the bushes, another grouped revealed themselves. It was Jet, Longshot and Smellerbee. Both parties stood motionless, gauging each other, wary of the slightest move.

Jet nodded casually. "Good to see that you're still kicking, Zuko. We mean you no harm if you'll do us no harm."

"The feeling is mutual," Zuko replied.

"How about we work together? This forest is full of tributes. There will be enough kills for all of us if we work together. And I know just the way we can do that." Jet looked toward Zuko, waiting for his approval.

Jet had tried to recruit Zuko before the start of the games, wanting him to join his bandbut Azula managed to persuade Zuko not to join them. It seemed Jet wanted to try his luck one more time since a firebender on the team would be a great asset.

Azula scoffed at him, her words cold. "You just want to use us to _torch_ the forest."

She had a good hunch about such a plan. To her, it was efficient enough. Snuff out any tributes hiding in the forest with a little fire, lure them into well-prepared traps, and let the rest of the team finish them off. It would certainly thin out the numbers in a short time.

"Heh, You're as brilliant as you are beautiful, Azula. You already have a tribute from my district in your team. I think this is a good way to say that we should be friends." Jet smiled at Azula but she seemed unfazed.

"A good idea. What's your plan then?" Zuko asked without waiting to see who could win this staring contest.

Smirking, Jet indicated a small, crude map drawn on the ground. "My team has already scouted this forest and we found several tributes camping nearby."

Kneeling, he pointed to each location on the map where they could potentially ambush the other tributes. "Now, like Azula said, we need someone to set fire to the surrounding trees so that we can flush them out. Once we do that the others will pounce on them and finish anyone off."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Azula inquired sharply, impatient.

Jet winced. "Hm. This isn't a good place to talk this kind of stuff. We need to move somewhere else that's more… _private_ ," Jet said, smiling at the girls.

o0o0o0o

Smiling, blue flames ignited in Azula's hand, the familiar warmth of chi coursing though her palm. "Right, we should be fine here. So, what is the plan?"

Her bending had only returned several moments ago and she was very pleased with that. She didn't show her satisfaction until now. Jet merely smirked, which made her uneasy.

"Its simple really," he said, "We need to set the nearby trees on fire so that all the tributes hiding in these woods will be forced out. That job goes to you and your brother, Azula."

Drawing another crude map in the dirt Jet knelt down and beckoned those around him to look. "We'll take positions here, here, and here. For a much quicker job I suggest that you and Zuko go to different parts of the forest to set it on fire. We'll work in two groups. You and Zuko, me and Mai, and Longshot and Smellerbee. That way we can overlook three exits and pick anyone that comes out."

Everyone nodded in agreement to the plan.

"So what do you think, Azula? Looks like a sound plan." Zuko asked after the others went to sleep.

"The plan may be good, but I have a bad feeling about what is to come. I can't explain it. Just keep your guard up. Jet may take an opportunity to get rid of us."

Zuko's eyes widened. "What? Why would he do that?"

Azula looked over her shoulders, wondering if others were listening to their conversation. "We are useful to him, but sooner or later we will be have deal with him. It could get ugly if he decides to double cross us when we least expect it."

"You're just paranoid. No one is going to back stab us," Zuko stated.

"I will not be the one to tell our mother how her son died. Our wits are what is going to keep us alive," Azula looked at her brother derisively. "Don't you think it's strange that children of noble blood were selected for this year's games? Long Feng is sending a clear message. He is taking children from some of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the world to quash any resistance. Fear is his weapon."

Zuko shook his head. "You're overthinking things. It was bad luck that we were selected, not because someone tried to poison Long Feng's tea."

"Hmph. Sure. And Iroh never returned from Ba Sing Se because he love it so much," Azula scoffed. "Deny it all you want, Zuzu. As usual I will be the one to get us out of this mess. Good night."

Azula returned to the camp, closed her eyes and went to sleep, but was ready to jump up at a moments notice.

o0o0o0o

When morning came the group dispersed into the woods. Silently they took up positions and prepared to execute their plans.

Azula was running as fast as she could to reach her designated spot, that sinking feeling of something bad happening plaguing her mind. If she accomplished her task quickly perhaps she could reunite with her brother to make sure he was okay. Despite her bitterness, Azula vowed to her mother that she would protect Zuko. The quicker she accomplished her task the quicker she could get back to Zuko and protect him from himself.

Just set a few trees on fire. It was simple enough for a firebender. The leaves and branches were dry and the light wind helped to fan the flames. Soon clouds of black smoke rose over the treetops, the woods set ablaze.

It was beginning of the end for their prey.

o0o0o0o

"It's dawn on only the second day folks and already the forest is burning! We can expect lots of death today. We will be holding bets for one hour as the residents of Ba Sing Se vote on who will be the first to die. Everyone that correctly guesses will be entered into a lottery to win a brand new cabbage-phone!"

"Indeed! The firebenders have risen with the dawn to prepare for this blazing event! We'll keep you updated as this exciting new day unfolds!"

o0o0o0o

Duke awoke to a sharp pain in his shoulder. He turned his head to the source and saw there was blood. A girl was sitting near him, dagger raised toward and poised to strike. Acting fast, almost on instinct, his good hand took hold of a nearby stone and threw it. The girl's head lunged back as the stone ricocheted off her forehead, disorienting her long enough for Duke to stand. He looked frantically for his hammer only to find that the girl had taken it and put it under her waist. With his wound still stinging, he didn't want to take chances.

He ran as fast as he could, far from the girl, clutching the wound on his shoulder. It was too bad for him that he didn't slow down for if He would have stopped just for a second he would have noticed the roots jutting out from the ground. Alas he didn't and when he tripped over one of them he rolled violently down the slope of a hill before hitting his head on a stone below. Losing consciousness, he didn't wake up until hours later, just as the trees around him were consumed in flames, the heat mercilessly gnawing at his skin until the smoke covered his body…

Jin recovered from the hit she sustained and cursed her luck. She was so close. She found the boy sleeping. She had the drop on him. It should have been an easy kill. She took away the hammer the boy had and nearly killed him. Just sink the knife into his chest and be done with it.

Whether her aim was off or her nerves were getting to her she couldn't tell. Perhaps the thought of taking a person's life for the first time made her miss. The boy woke soon after, just as she raised the knife for another strike and he was unfortunately faster than her, making his escape soon after hitting her with the rock.

Standing up, Jin tried to guess where the boy went. The headache she still had from the blow was a tremendous hindrance, making her unable to focus. After several minutes of searching she noticed a trail of blood and followed it down a slope. The scent of smoke was strong and before she had a chance to guess what it was from, the fire consuming the trees made its way toward her. Fear engulfed her entire body. She had never seen a fire as wild as the one she gazed upon. Panicking, she fled in the opposite direction, running as fast as she could.

She wasn't the only one that fled in fear. Just out of the corner of her eye Jin could see the boy with the wheelchair rushing away from the fire. How he managed to do so in his condition was nothing short of a miracle. It was futile in the end though, because moments later Teo hit a stone and was catapulted out of his wheelchair as his means of transport were shattered on the rocks.

Teo tried to crawl back to his damaged wheelchair but Jin jumped at him, trying to hit him with the hammer she still had. Just before she struck a strong gust of air blew her away. When Jin stood up she saw that an airbender tribute stood between her and Teo. Another air blast came toward her and Jin had to dodge it.

The flames came closer as they fought. Jin was surprised at the speed with which the trees caught fire, consuming everything in its path. They closed in around them, hemming them in. This was no natural fire, she realized, it couldn't be. Someone started it, wanting to flush anyone out of the woods.

She had no time for musing on the matter though, not when an airbender stared her down, with blasts of air only fanning the nearby flames. Both girls eyed each other cautiously, silently anticipating each other's next move. The only way out for Jin was going through the airbender. She had no choice left to her.

Another blast came at Jin, forcing her into cover. The fire grew closer and closer. Jin couldn't afford to play around anymore. She had to get out of the way of the fire before it took her.

Desperate, she threw the hammer in some other direction to distract the airbender, hoping she would turn away. When she turned to meet another possible threat Jin took her chance to dash away, only run into another airbender some distance away.

This was a bad sign for her. She tried to strike the airbending boy with her dagger, but he evaded her strike easily, blasting Jin away from him with a huge gust of air.

"Wrong move," said the boy.

As Jin fell back hard she tried to get up, but was unable to. A sharp, unimaginable pain pierced the center of her body. The shock of being impaled by a thick tree branch didn't hit her until her weary eyes drifted down to her body, fresh blood staining her tunic.

Aang watched as the life left her eyes, enduring the pain wracking his very soul. He had no tears to spare for her.

Suddenly, an explosion off to his side caught his attention. He hunched down as debris pattered this clothes. Out of the dust and fire came a girl, her hands covered in blue flames.

"Oh my, just look what we have here!" taunted the girl, shooting out a stream of fire toward Aang.

His reaction was too slow. Fire burned his chest and Aang fell to the ground in pain. He tried to stand up, but another blast of fire forced him to roll out of its way. With renewed strength Aang summoned a gust of air and kicked out with his feet toward his attacker. Azula dodged it with ease. Again he sent another gust of air toward her to get some distance, knocking Azula hard against a burning tree.

Ash and burnt twigs fell over his head. Aang had no intention to stay trapped within the inferno engulfing the forest. Using is bending he propel himself up into the smoke-choked air, away from his opponent.

"You're not getting away you filthy airbender!" Azula shouted, blue streaks of electricity coursing around her arms.

Seconds later, defying her own expectations of hitting him, lightning shot out from Azula's fingers and hit Aang in the back. He fell into to raging inferno, never to rise again.

o0o0o0o0

"The heat is beginning to rise down there in the forest, folks! Due to the thick foliage we can't see what's happening, but our technical staff has confirmed that at least two deaths have already occurred! Tribute Duke from District Six and tribute Jin from District Ten."

"Look there, Xin! An airbender just tried to leave the raging inferno, but a bolt of lightning shot him down! That had to have been lethal! His body is falling back in to fire below. No doubt a firebender delivered the killing blow and I am one hundred percent certain that Tribute Azula was behind it. Her brother didn't show an ability to generate lightning after all," Shiro said, putting down his spyglass.

"All right folks, its official. We have confirmation that Tribute Aang from district 'nice' is dead."

o0o0o0o

As Aang battled Azula, Ilo checked on the disabled boy that attempted to crawl away.

"Wait! Don't be afraid. I am not going to hurt you," she said, her voice as calm as can be.

Teo looked up at her, terrified and uncertain. He had no doubt that he was going to die. His wheelchair was completely shattered. Without it he had no chance to escape. The fire raged around him, falling leaves disintegrating into ash. If the fire didn't kill him, then there were several other tributes nearby that would finish him off.

And yet this tribute refused to kill him.

"Please, don't be afraid of me. I'm here to help you," she said, reaching out a hand as she moved toward him. "Trust me."

There was something in the way she talked that made Teo want to trust her. If she really wanted to kill him, she would have done it by now under more ideal conditions.

"I'm Ilo and you're Teo. I'll get us out of here, please trust me," she insisted.

What did Teo have to lose? At best he would stall his inevitable death by a few hours, if not a few minutes. He reached out his hand to her and she took it. Helping him to stand as best as she could Ilo then attempted to carry him off, creating several air blasts to lift them into the air.

The fire raged all around them as they ascended, but Ilo used her airbending skills to evade the worst of it, heat licking at their skin. She ascended higher and higher, focusing on a narrow beam of light breaking through the treetops. Ilo could see their way out. They were almost free from the inferno.

Her hopes were dashed from her as the light was blotted out, a huge piece of splintered, burning wood slamming down on her. She fell from the sky, taking Teo with her as they hit the bottom. Maimed and cut, Teo desperately tried to lift himself up by his arms to make his way toward the airbender. She had become trapped under a log, completely knocked out. He tried to push the log away, but it was no use. He didn't have enough strength to move it. He cursed his weakness under his breath, whimpering as he tried one more time to push the log.

Eventually the flames consumed Teo and his would be rescuer. The last thing he would see would be the fire engulfing her body, his screams of pain mixing with that of crackling wood and splintering twigs as flames burned them. And just like that two more deaths were recorded, to the sound of a cheering audience hundreds of miles away.


End file.
